THINK TOGETHER
Have you ever done something wrong and then tried to cover it up? Have you ever told a lie about your sin? (Mom and dad make sure you share too)
READ TOGETHER
King David was a good king. He loved God very much and he knew that God loved him too. King David never turned to false gods or idols like so many other kings did back then. He worshiped God and usually trusted God.
Usually.
The Bible teaches us that everyone is a sinner. And it teaches us that we are all able to be very, very selfish at times. Even a good king like David. Even you and me.
And the Bible teaches us that we can never hide our sin from God. He always knows what we’ve done. But he also always still loves us, even when we sin.
There’s a story in the Bible about a time when King David committed a terrible sin and tried to cover it up. David decided that he wanted one of his best friend’s wife to be his own wife. That’s very bad. David then he decided to send his friend, Uriah, to the front line of a battle where he knew Uriah would be killed. That’s very, very bad. David was selfish. David was greedy. David broke God’s law. David sinned horribly. And David was in denial.
Do you know what denial means? It means that we can’t admit when we do something wrong. We make excuses or blame others for our own disobedience. Sometimes we even feel like we deserve to be bad. Or, when we feel guilty inside, we try to hide what we’ve done or lie about it. All of this is denial.
David was in denial. He couldn’t admit that he had done a terrible thing. He stole another man’s wife and then killed the husband. But then he just went on with his life as if nothing had happened. And God was very sad and angry. So God sent a prophet named Nathan to David to help him see the horrible sin he had committed.
Nathan told David a story. It was a story about a man in Israel who had lots of lambs. But then one day he stole his neighbor’s one and only lamb. Then he killed and ate his neighbor’s lamb.
King David was furious at this man for stealing his neighbor’s precious little lamb. He ordered that the man should die for his selfish crime.
And then Nathan looked at David and said these words:
2 Samuel 12:7. Nathan said to David, “You are the man!
Nathan exposed David’s sin. Finally, David was able to see the wrong that he had done. He could now see how he hurt God, and Uriah, and Uriah’s wife Bathsheba, and his whole country too. But now David had a chance to see if God would still love him and forgive him for what he had done.
Do you think God forgave King David? He did. According to the law of God, David could have been put to death for his crimes. But God allowed him to live. Why? Because God had promised to love David no matter what. Even when he sinned.
Then David wrote these words in Psalm 32:
Psalm 32:1. Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
Can you admit when you do wrong things? Can you tell others that you’re sorry when you have hurt them or when you have disobeyed? That can be really hard to do, can’t it?
But when we know that God has forgiven us through Jesus, we are able to stop making excuses for our sins and, instead, we can admit when we do wrong. We can apologize. We can try to make things right if possible. And, most importantly, we can know that God still loves us, no matter what terrible thing we have done. Why? Because Jesus was punished for our sins on the cross, and he has promised to love us forever just like he did King David.
Because of Jesus I know I will always be forgiven by God.
With Jesus I can admit when I’ve done something wrong.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Watch this apology scene from The Grinch. What did the Grinch need to apologize for? How did he try to make things right? Do you think the Who’s should forgive the Grinch?
Is there anything you need to say you’re sorry for to someone in your family?
PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus,
Because of you I am forgiven. Help me to stop making excuses when I sin and say I’m sorry to God and make things right with others that I have hurt instead.
Amen.
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