When David was writing Psalm 51, he was very aware of God’s intention to continue a relationship with Him. He not only saw God as his Creator, but as the one who gives resources and support without the expectation of receiving anything. God is our benefactor who gives generously without needing anything in return. 

David wrote about the relationship God initiated with him at the beginning of his life, long before he was anointed king, defeated a giant, led an army, or became king. He thought back to the delicate way God cared for him when it was clear David had nothing to offer him, before his birth....

At the beginning of Psalm 51, David begs God for mercy and compassion due to his awareness of the gravity of his sinful choices. David feels remorse and asks God to not give him what he deserves. 

You see, David understood one of God’s roles in his life is to be his judge. The way David measured his own value was completely hinged on the way God viewed him. He was in constant pursuit of being right with God, of restoring his relationship with God, and he was hyper aware of the ways that he fell short and sinned against God. Due to his posture of repentance, it is unsurprising that David began this psalm with humility, direct ownership, and confession. 

Nathan revealed that David, himself, was the spoiled wealthy man. Not only did he steal a prized, beloved companion of the poor man, he stole his wife. Then, he covered up his sin by having a man killed. David swiftly agreed that he sinned against the Lord. 

In response, David was told his son, who was a product of his affair with Bathsheba, would die; he mourned for about a week until his son died. This may be the precise time that he wrote these words...

Throughout the rest of David’s life, David continued to pursue knowing God and honoring Him with his life. Later in his life, he desired to build God a temple, relied on God when his son was trying to kill him, and wrote dozens of songs and poems of gratitude that were published. David, yearned for God to receive the glory–even until his final breath.

Loss can be an overwhelming experience for all of us. When each of us were young children, we would tantrum or burst into tears at discovering a toy missing or when in need of our parents. If you have a good memory, you may recall one of these experiences where you felt deep loss and had no hesitation communicating your needs. More often than not, we hope for mercy (not receiving what we deserve) and grace (receiving something we didn’t earn), but at other times, we are seeking the consequences of our actions. 

It is no longer rare to find me in a puddle of my own tears as we worship with our church community, in prayer, or simply as I deeply feel alongside my friends in the shadows and valleys of life. These dark corners, where the consequences of sin, brokenness, and human limits are devastatingly apparent, you will also find those who deeply mourn.

Sitting in chunks of a story (rather than moving through it quickly) is where the phrases or details come alive that are sometimes overlooked when we read a story in its entirety. While the story of David & Bathsheba is generally common knowledge to those who study the Bible, at times we can rush through stories we think we know. Taking the time to sit in each aspect of the story gives us space to imagine and notice the circumstances to the best of our ability.

Fast forward to the years of David’s reign as king. He had just found out that Bathsheba, the woman he took advantage of was pregnant with his child, he’d killed her husband because of his refusal to go home to be with his wife while his unit was still at war, and now he’d married her. 

A prophet, Nathan, came to David when prompted by God and told him a story...

When someone extends mercy, the recipient has a unique emotional response. Depending on your own previous relationships, someone deciding not to give you the consequences you deserve may be something you crave or desire. Mercy may be something you long to experience. There are others who may have generous amounts of mercy extended to them which inhibits their ability to frequently experience consequences...