David had hit one of his all-time lows. The deep emotional valley came not long after Nathan had told David, "You are the man." Today that is a compliment, but for David it was condemnation for his sinful acts: having an affair with Bathsheba and then conveniently arranging the death in battle of her husband Uriah.

Soon thereafter, Nathan came for a visit and created a setting by telling an imaginary story of a person doing evil. David responded with his own strong condemnation. In return, Nathan’s bold response to David was, "King, you da man!" Have you ever been "found out" in a personal sin? I speak from experience when I say, it's not fun! Whether by another person or by the prompting of God's Spirit, being wrong and being found out is not fun.         

This experience has turned many people away from God. They figure if they deny His presence in their lives they won't be held accountable to Him for what they have done. Others have taken a dive into depression and they’ve given up, believing they are not worth anything in the eyes of a holy God. But the good news to me today is that I've never even thought about doing what David did and he was forgiven. So I conclude as I read this passage that if David could be forgiven, then so can I (and so can you).

I was intrigued by the specifics of David's request to God and his own "action steps" to move on from the pit of condemnation to the pinnacle of confirmation. If it worked for him, it might just work for me too.           

Here's what David asked of God:         

1.    Have mercy on me         

2.    Blot out my transgressions         

3.    Wash away my iniquity         

4.    Cleanse me from my sin

5.    Create in me a clean heart         

6.    Renew a steadfast spirit in me         

7.    Restore to me the joy of your salvation         

8.    Grant me a willing spirit to sustain me

I noticed how direct David was, and how he depended on the goodness of God. The action steps follow:         

1.    Then  I will teach transgressors your way         

2.    Then  my tongue will sing of your righteousness         

3.    Then  my mouth will declare your praise

When I realize all that God has done for me, then I have something valuable to say to others about God.

According to the conclusion of the chapter, my personal "sacrifices" bring no pleasure to God, but a broken spirit and a contrite heart do. If David's request for restoration can be answered, so can mine. I can have a joyful song of praise because I realize what God has done for me.

Rich Carlson is campus chaplain at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska. "God is Faithful" is adapted from the email devotionals he writes regularly for the Union College family. Rich enjoys filling his life with God, his family, and especially his five grandchildren.