Today’s reading is Psalm 51:

Today’s Psalm is one of the more heart-wrenching passages in all the Bible. This is the Psalm that David wrote after he had been caught in his sin.  Nathan the prophet confronted David over his sin. And let’s not paper over what David did.  He had an affair with a married woman.  And we could spend a long time talking about the power dynamics, he’s the king.  You don’t say no to the king. Bathsheba had no agency or choice in what was happening.  This is truly awful.  Then, to cover up what he had done, he first tries to trick Uriah to go home from battle and sleep with his wife.  He wouldn’t because he had honor (in contrast to what David had done).  So eventually David has his killed purposely in battle.

This is the action that David has done.  It is reprehensible, wrong on every level.

He gets called out for his sin. And most kings in his day would have had the prophet killed.  But David sees the error of his actions.  And truly and really repents.

I wanted you to know the fullness of his story as you read these words.  Know that David was a good man, a man after God’s own heart.  Your sin, no matter how grave, is not something that will keep you from God if you will accept grace.

But, we have to accept that grace. Repent. Turn.  Seek forgiveness. And we will find it. But, we have to be willing to turn from it.

Today, you can be forgiven.  No matter what has happened, you can be forgiven.

If you’d like to get each day’s daily scripture reading sent to your phone along with this reading guide, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up!