“Then Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, “I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. And I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more. Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.” Thus says the Lord, “Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.”’”—2 Samuel 12:7–12 (ESV) 

Does David’s moral failing with Bathsheba make you wonder why he’s called a man after God’s own heart? We begin today’s devotional with a powerful statement of conviction. “You are the man!” The prophet Nathan is a brilliant communicator. He shares a parable that stirs compassion and justice in the heart of the king. A rich man steals a beloved family lamb from a poor man, slaughters it, and serves it to a traveling stranger for dinner. Deep anger is aroused in David, until he realizes the parable is about him.

The hard truth: We’ve been given the freedom of choice; however, we’re not free from the consequences that come from our choices. The world wants mercy and grace without discipline. Under the Mosaic Law, adultery was grounds for the death penalty. Although David and Bathsheba’s lives were spared, their moral failing reminds us: God’s good mercy can spare our lives, but it doesn’t always spare us from the ripple effect of our choices. They’ll pay a heavy price for their sin.  

Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? God answers His own question . . . “because you have despised me.” Ouch! How often do we justify our own sin? This statement breaks my heart. My sin, your sin, is truly an affront to God Almighty, His character, His Word, and His loving authority. 

The Lord reminds David of all the generous blessings and divine protection bestowed upon him. In God’s steadfast love, He pours out these blessings to ALL of His creation. The Word tells us: “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, on sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45 NIV). The truth of the matter is our rebellion is a slap in the face of the One who loves us so much. 

Let’s read David’s response to God in Psalm 51. David hears God’s heart and agrees: “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight—that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge. . . . For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:1–4; 16–17 NKJV).

David’s a man after God’s own heart, because he was a man of repentance. He feels conviction and owns his sin. He doesn’t justify it, or make excuses—He runs towards God. David’s response demonstrates the difference between conviction and condemnation. Conviction is a holy correction from a good Father. It draws us to God for mercy, cleansing, and forgiveness. Condemnation whispered by the accuser drives us away from God because it’s an attack on our personhood and our identity as a child of God.

Although David paid dearly for his sins, God never abandoned him, and He will never abandon us when we fall. What great hope that provides; our good Father will discipline us and remain with us in our darkest struggles.

Pause: Do you recognize God’s discipline as a good thing? If we never disciplined our children, how would that affect their character?

Practice: If you have an unchecked desire/sin in your life, confess it, repent, and ask God to forgive you. Find a trusted and loving friend that’s able to hold you accountable

Pray: Dear Lord, forgive us when we secretly stand in judgement of David, when in the quietness of our conscience we said, “I would never do such a thing!” Remind us we’re just dust and are completely capable of a moral failing like this. Like David, we want to be people of repentance, acknowledging and grieving our sin and turning from it. Help us go running towards You when we fall short. Please bring us a “Nathan” when we need to be told a hard truth. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.