2 Samuel 11 tells the story of King David and Bathsheba (wife of Uriah), and David’s double sins of adultery and murder. The last sentence of the chapter is, ” But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord. ” After all of this happened, the prophet Nathan went to David and confronted him about the sin (in a subtle, indirect way) and when David realized the full weight of what he had done, he became overcome with guilt.
David had to have known that what he did was wrong, but it seems like when everything was “hidden” or had gone unnoticed by people, he was able to live with himself. But after Nathan exposed to David the gravity of what all had transpired, David was overcome.
Psalm 51 is David’s response to the weight of his own sin. David first confesses what he has done, then asks for mercy and forgiveness, then praises God’s attributes with worship, having received forgiveness.
I think it’s unlikely that anyone reading this post is carrying around the guilt of a sin equal David’s sin of adultery/murder, but I’m fairly certain that at least one of you knows what the burden of guilt feels like. I know I do.
Everyone has sinned, and one of the results of sin is guilt. We can be thankful for guilty feelings because they drive us to seek forgiveness.
I invite you today to unburden your conscience in prayer. Tell God what sins are causing you to feel guilt, ask him to forgive you, and ask for him to fill your spirit with joy.