Dave's Diary

Daily Readings: Psalm 51 and James 4:1-10

Read together, these passages make it very clear that there are times when the first step towards submission to the LORD is repentance.

Psalm 51 is the Psalm David wrote after he had turned his back on the will of God in lustful pursuit of Bathsheba. He had been in full-blown rebellion against God. He had chosen to submit only to his physical desires and lusts. His life had spiralled into adultery, deceit and murder. Centuries later James would write of those resisting God the way David did: “You desire but do not have, so you kill.” (James 4:2)

Then, out of love for David, the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to confront him with a call to repentance. Taking the form of a prophetic story, Nathan’s call to David carried the same message as James later wrote in James 4:7-9: “Submit yourselves to God … Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail …” That’s never a comfortable message to hear, and many would respond to it only with anger and further rebellion, but the moral clarity of Nathan’s confrontation opened David’s eyes to the folly of his ways. David’s immediate response was repentance!

When we have rebelled against God and chosen instead to submit to our own desires, the first step towards submission to the LORD is repentance. Like David, our hearts need to be broken by our sinful rebellion. We have to see the evil folly of our choices and discern how tragic the consequences of our rebellion will be, and then we have to make the life-giving decision to return to God. Like David we will need to pray: “I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me … My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart You, God, will not despise.” (Psalm 51:3 & 17)

Lord, I turn back to You today. I repent of the times I have submitted to my sinful desires and rebelled against You in the process. Please forgive me for resisting You. I humbly repent and submit myself to Your Lordship again. I humble myself before You. Please lift me up. Please restore to me the joy of my salvation and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Amen.