No lies before God

Good morning. This is a devotional for single adults from Parenting Solo, but the message also applies to single adults without children who may one day marry a single parent and be a step-parent. Feel Free to forward it to a friend.

Scripture: Psalm 51:3-4 (NIV) For I know my transgressions,
and all my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight.

Sin always hurts someone and usually multiple people are hurt. With adultery (and any other sexual sin, such as addiction to pornography), so much of society wants to cover it up and rationalize why it’s OK. “We’re two consenting adults. What’s the big deal? Nobody got hurt.” There is always a victim. The other spouse may not know about the adultery, but the marriage will have been damaged, and the relationship has been broken. Maybe years later, she will find out, and the hurt begins all over again. Questions arise. “Why did this happen?” “What did I do wrong?” “If only I had been more loving or affectionate toward him …”

Lies, all lies. Society is into the blame game, because it’s easier than accepting the consequences for our sins. David tried to cover up his transgression with Bathsheba by having her husband killed in battle. Later, the baby they bore together died shortly after childbirth. When David and Bathsheba committed adultery, they were not thinking of the consequences that would follow: her getting pregnant, the whole cover-up, him murdering Uriah, the baby dying. 2 Samuel shows David grieving heavily when his son dies. Yes, David’s sin affected a lot of people.

When Nathan confronted David, the king had nowhere to hide. He was caught red-handed. The key to Psalm 51 is that David doesn’t try to tippy-toe around his sin with God. Just the opposite. He pleads for mercy, asks God for forgiveness and asks for cleansing from his sin. David is clear that he knows his transgressions. He easily could have tried to keep his sin from others. He knows that his sin will always be on his conscience. He can never get away from it.

David also clearly understands the most important element in this whole mishap: “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.” Though the world may rationalize why sexual sin is OK, David understands that he can’t hide his sin from God. Ultimately, that is always what we face: a God of righteousness who sees all of our sins and knows we must pay for those sins somehow. David realizes that he must be able to go before God with a clean conscience. He is contrite, his spirit broken. When we have sinned, we cannot go before God with a proud spirit, trying to wipe away our sin as though it were nothing. God is always watching. We can never hide from our sin. The consequences never go away, no matter how hard we try.

How does this apply to my life?

Today’s prayer: Lord, help me to always be honest with you. My sins are before you. With you, I can hide nothing. Help me to come to you with a contrite spirit. Cleanse my heart, so that I can continue to come before you. Amen

Doug Mead
Parenting Solo

Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Vol. 4, No. 73

This week’s reading plan can be found at http:/www.oneyearbibleonline.com/july.asp?version=51