Confession (Psalm 51)
This week we focused on Psalm 51, David’s confession after he committed adultery and murder. Before David sinned and eventually confessed, he seemed rather disengaged. 2 Samuel 11:1 - In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army… But David remained in Jerusalem. David was the king. He should’ve been fulfilling his duties with the army. People often become exhausted, which leads to being disengaged, dissatisfied, discouraged, and for some, even depressed. When we find ourselves in any of these conditions, we will be tempted to reach for relief when what we truly need is restoration. John Eldridge says, “Relief is momentary; it’s checking out, numbing, sedating yourself. Television is relief. Eating a bag of cookies is relief. Tequila is relief. And let’s be honest — relief is what we reach for because it’s immediate and usually within our grasp. Most of us turn there when what we really need is restoration.” How often do you find yourself exhausted and traveling down a path toward being disengaged and dissatisfied? Do you sometimes reach for relief when what you truly need is restoration? What is your go-to for relief? In Psalm 23, David describes what we truly need. He says The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. ³ He restores my soul. Ever had a moment when you knew God was restoring your soul? What was that like? How do you seek restoration instead of relief?
After David commits the sin of adultery and then eventually murder, God sends the prophet Nathan to confront him. Nathan approaches David with wisdom and gentleness and tells him a story that illustrates what David has done. When David calls to punish the person in Nathan’s story, Nathan delivers an amazing and bold statement in 2 Samuel 12:7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!” It is likely that, like Nathan, we will be called by God at some point in our life to have a difficult conversation and confront someone. We might be called to confront the one we are married to. Also, parents are often called to confront their children. This could apply to our friends or to anyone we are in a relationship with. Tell the story of a time you were forced to confront someone. When we are called to confront, we should follow Nathan’s example, using wisdom, gentleness, and when appropriate, to be bold. Which of these three principles of confrontation do you find the most difficult?
Take a moment and read aloud Psalm 51. What sticks out to you from this Psalm? Which verse in the Psalm do you connect with in your current season of life? Psalm 51 is David’s prayer of confession to God. In essence, he asks God for three things. These are the same three things we need to ask God to do when we sin and confess to Him. First, David asks God to forgive him. He asks God this in nine different ways. Verse 2 is a good example - Psalm 51:2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Knowing that God has forgiven us is powerful. God’s forgiveness takes us from shame to a place of humble confidence before God. If you are in Christ, you have the assurance that your sins have been forgiven. You also have the assurance that God will forgive fully and freely in the future as well. Describe the moment when you understood that you had been forgiven by God. Being forgiven means that you are acceptable to God and can approach Him with freedom and confidence. Do you struggle to feel acceptable to God?
