Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. – Psalms 32: 5

The story of David and Bathsheba is a powerful example of how God can wash away our deepest feelings of guilt and remorse.

For the longest time, God showed amazing favor to David, making him prosper in everything that he did.

But eventually, David reached a point where he believed he was above the law.

And at a time he was supposed to be in battle, he gave himself time off.

During that time, not only did he lay with another man’s wife (Bathsheba) and get her pregnant, but he killed her husband to cover his tracks!

But it wasn’t until the prophet Nathan revealed to him the seriousness of his sin that he became overwhelmed with guilt.

It sounds crazy, but sometimes when others reveal to us the error of our ways, it can make the guilt fall on us like a ton of bricks.

And we proceed to beat ourselves over the head with regret and remorse, wishing we could take back our actions.

We’re haunted day and night by what we’ve done and the pain we caused to those around us.

But we must not allow guilt to weave itself too tightly into the fabric of our minds.

Because it will destroy our spirits and paralyze us when it ought not to.

We must remember that there is none righteous on this earth, and that we all make mistakes.

So instead of condemning ourselves, we should be convicted by Jesus and his power to forgive us of our sins.

He’s always ready to take on our burdens, and His sin-eradicating blood will never lose it’s power.

We must take the attitude of David who confessed his sins with a repentant heart after brazenly violating the Lord’s commandments.

And we must understand with our whole hearts that once we’ve asked God for forgiveness, we are forgiven.

Jesus saved us from guilt when he died for us on the cross.

So we should view our mistakes as an opportunity to learn and grow, not to punish ourselves with remorse, shame, and guilt.

Be blessed,

Alexia

Prayer: God, I’m so ashamed of myself for the things I’ve done and the people I’ve hurt. I wish I could take my deeds back, but I know I can’t. God, I confess to you that I’ve missed the mark. I present to you my broken spirit and my repentant heart. Help me to move forward in your grace, leaving all feelings of guilt and remorse behind so that I can shine the light of your love to everyone around me. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.