One of the greatest works done by the Holy Spirit on our behalf is to convince us of sin, righteousness and judgment. With this, we can repent and be forgiven (John 16:8). It can't be easy for Him to watch us, seeing that we have impure intentions in our hearts. He struggles to make us stop doing wrong. Having fallen into temptation, man loves to think about what is bad and offends the Lord!

           David allowed himself to be seduced by Bathsheba, who decided to bathe so that she could be seen from the terrace of the king of Israel's palace, since her house was right in front of it (2 Samuel 11:2). The Word says that she was very beautiful to look at, and when she did this, she was certainly looking for an admirer, who just happened to be the king, her neighbor. Israel was fighting inside the city, now the capital of Jordan, and David felt he didn't need to go to war and stayed at home. Did he pray?

          Perhaps he prayed, but not with his heart. We also tend to cry out in this way and then, when the falls come, we become desperate and ask the Lord why he didn't help us through the ordeal. I think that when David saw that lady bathing on the terrace of his palace, he wondered if what he saw was true. He was already giving in!

               He asked about her, her name, who she was, her husband's name and where he was. From the information he received, he must have thought of the soldier on the battlefield for Israel, but David still sent for her. The ending doesn't need to be written, because what neither of them expected happened: she became pregnant. How many women, after learning of their pregnancy, have even asked God for an abortion? The king called her husband and told him to go home...

          Uriah was killed in the war, and his wife became one of David's wives. The prophet Nathan showed the king what God had said about his mistake. He then came to his senses and prayed, confessing his sin (2 Samuel 12). In Psalm 51, written after the tragedy that shamed him, David said that he had sinned only against God. That wasn't a lie, but watching the bath was deliberate, and he wasn't content with just watching the scene. All Israel wept!

          When we do something bad in the eyes of the Most High, we must cry out to Him to make a way for us to be made right again, and He does. The justification mentioned by the psalmist would come from the Lord when He judged him. David knew that God does not lay a hand on those who sin, even if they are His servants. The king recounted his transgression in order to be justified, because he knew that some kind of correction would come against him. A thousand years later, David was justified in Jesus!

Today, those who repent of their iniquities must confess them to God, asking for forgiveness, which will be given to them (1 John 18:7,8). However, the person who sins, asks for forgiveness and then errs again and asks for forgiveness will, over time, find it difficult to be forgiven (Galatians 6:7,8). Today is the day to make the best decision of your life: to turn to the Lord, repent and open your heart to Him in order to be cleared of your sin. But don't ever sin again!

           In Christ, with love,

           R. R. Soares