He was the greatest king in Israel’s history, known as a man “after God’s own heart.” A remarkable quality to possess. His name was David─a king whose words of praise glorifying God in the book of Psalms continue to be read and cherished. But David was not perfect.

In the latter half of his reign, when his army was victorious on the battlefield, his realm secure, his treasury full, David committed a grievous sin. He committed adultery with the wife of one of his army commanders. When Bathsheba became pregnant and his cover-up plan failed, he ordered Bathsheba’s husband sent on a battle mission, which led to his certain death.  David was frantically trying to hide his sin from the people, but no sin is hidden from God! So, He sent the prophet Nathan to confront David.

David’s response? “I have sinned against the Lord?” (2 Samuel 12:13)

No excuses, no justifications, no shifting of blame. His prayer of repentance in Psalm 51 reveals that David not only confessed his sin but expressed his desire to turn back to God with a faithful heart.

“ . . .  Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within.” (Psalm 51:10)

David models for us what genuine repentance looks like─confession and change!

Mercifully God responded to David’s repentance with forgiveness. Yes, there were consequences that resulted from his sin because sin always has consequences, but God mercifully remained with David in those consequences.

Yet as I reflected on this time in David’s life, could all the pain and sorrow his sin caused, both to him and to those in his life, have been avoided? What if on the day David was strolling on the rooftop of his palace and saw Bathsheba bathing, he had had heeded the words of another psalm─another prayer he penned? A prayer that would have led him to dealing with a sinful desire before it led to the act of sin!

“Search me, O Lord, and know my heart, . . .  see if there is any wicked way in me . . .” (Psalm 139:23-24)

This word “wicked” comes from the Hebrew word “otseb.” It means wicked, but it also means pain and sorrow. This is why other translations of these verses read: “If there be . . .

• • any hurtful way in me.” (NASB)
  • any grievous way in me.” (ESV)
  • any offensive way in me.” (NIV)

Yes, David’s sin was a source of pain and sorrow in his life and the lives of those around him, but it also “pained” God. Sometimes we fail to realize that not only does God hate sin, but it offends God, it grieves Him, because sin causes a separation from Him.

From David’s failure, we learn an important lesson about repentance. We need not just to repent of the sins we have committed, but to be open to the daily examination of our hearts by God. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to convict us of thoughts we are embracing, desires we are nurturing that grieve God, that offend God and can lead to the action of sin. We need to heed the words of wisdom we find in the book of Proverbs:

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Prov. 4:23 NIV)

How much pain, sorrow, and difficult complications could be avoided in our lives, if we embraced the truth of this proverb by daily praying this Davidic prayer and responding with genuine repentance.

“Search me, O Lord, and see if there is any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:24)