The sacrifice God wants is a broken spirit. God, you will not reject a heart that is broken and sorry for sin. Ps. 51:17
T.D. Jakes made a statement that made me stop and think. He said, Saul was a more moral King than David. Yet the Scriptures tells us God called David a man after His own heart. Now that might sound quite contradictory, until you think about what’s really important to God. Any one of us can be a good moral person doing the right things, but for the wrong reasons. 1 Samuel 16:7 and Proverbs 16:2 reminds us that God doesn’t look on the person or what they do, He looks on the motive of their heart, and why they’re doing it.
We can do really good things, but our motives not only might be wrong, but they may be sinful because it’s done out of pride, or we’re manipulating someone so they are indebted to us. Perhaps we may even lie and say we’re doing it for the Lord, but really we’re doing it so people will say nice things about us. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that it is by grace we are saved not by works. God doesn’t want what we can do for Him, He wants our hearts, so that we can have a deep, intimate relationship with Him and return the love He has shown us.
It’s true, Saul never committed adultery, or conspired to murder someone, then be deceptive in hiding it. However he still sinned, albeit socially acceptable ones such as lying, and he blaming others for his failures. But here’s the difference, Saul was proud and wouldn’t admit he sinned, so therefore he wouldn’t repent. David on the other hand was convicted over his sin, even when he didn’t want to admit it. In Psalm 42:3 he wrote my tears have been my food day and night. Why, because unconfessed sin brings depression and a restless spirit. Yes David sinned terribly, but see with God it’s not as much about the sin as our response to it. David’s heart was broken so much so that he cried out “only before You and You alone have I sinned.” Did his sins affect others? Yes, but he knew he had to make it right with God before He could even begin to make it right with everyone else. He not only bent his knee before God, but more importantly his heart and in so doing he was forgiven and set free from his sin.
So today the question to ask yourself is, am I a Saul or a David. Am I prideful and think I have all the answers and I make my own way through life with my own rules? Or am I like David, who admitted to God he was wrong and received God’s forgiveness and restoration? 1 John 1:9 says God is faithful and reliable. If we confess our sins, he forgives them and cleanses us from everything we’ve done wrong. This verse is not only for the unsaved, but a reminder for the Believer that when we humble ourselves and remember we are forgiven, we are truly set free from the power of the enemy. Life doesn’t ever get better than that my friend. God is calling you into a relationship with Him so you can live a victorious life like David, all you have to do is ask Him to forgive you of your sins and become the Lord and Savior of your life.
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