OCTOBER 18, Psalm 51:1-3 

Imagine you read in the newspapers that there is a murder case – X plotted to kill Y. X is a very powerful man and through his connections, got Y killed. It was the perfect murder, because Y, a soldier, was killed in his line of duty and it was legitimate for X to have commanded Y to ght. But the plot thickens – before X sent Y to die in battle, X had coveted Y ’s wife, and that is the main motive for the murder.

How would you feel about X? Would you think X is a good man? What would your reaction be should your father invite X for dinner at home? Who is this X we are talking about?

It is King David, Israel’s brave warrior-king who was a courageous General who led God’s people into many victories. Why then did David do what he did? Like all of us, David is a sinful man.

We read the word “sinful” so often we may not fully understand. “Sinful” means “full of sin”. David was, like all of us, full of sin. But David was also different. He was a man who when corrected, would not argue or give excuses. He was a man who dared to repent and to return to God. That is why he penned the words in the scripture text for today – for he wrote this Psalm after his sin was pointed out to him.

How about you? If someone points out your mistake, what is your first reaction? Would you be angry and blame someone else? Would you deny it was you who made that mistake? Or would you learn from King David to accept your mistake, learn from it, and try not to do it again?

Thought: May I learn from my mistakes and not shy away from them.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I know I sin but what is more important is that I learn from my mistakes and not repeat my sins. So Heavenly Father, give me a heart that will learn and not push away responsibilities from my mistakes. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.