David a King of Israel

When is the last time you spent time in 1 Samuel....this is an absolutely fascinating book of the Bible.
In our ladies group on Wednesday evenings we are working our way thru this book of the Bible.  And something we were dealing with last night was this...David was not always a "king" worthy person...at least not on a human level.  But God...don't you just love those two little words...But God...in His infinite wisdom  saw what an amazing heart for God, David had.
Last evening the chapter we were in was 27.  If we were to take this chapter and really look at at, you might see that David's character was really not that different from the character of people we frequently meet today. By this I mean, David was going out away from where he was living and not within the vision of the king of Gath, who was the ruler of the area, where David lived for about 16 months...and David was a bandit and a murderer.  He was killing not just other men, but he was killing entire towns...no witnesses left behind.
In this chapter David was NOT living for God.  David was living for David.  God at this point in Davids life was NOT being sought out by David.   Pretty sad especially when we consider that David wrote so many of the chapters of the Psalms. Actually 73 are  attributed to David.  But if you were to read this chapter of Samuel and then read some of the Psalms that David wrote, you might think, how can this be the same person? Yet God so loved David, you might ask why?  Because David did have a repentant heart.  Do you know what a repentant heart.
Well let's look at what repentance means...this first is from the following......http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Repentance.php4.

Repentance

There are three Greek words used in the New Testament to denote repentance. (1.) The verb metamelomai is used of a change of "mind, such as to produce regret or even remorse on account of" "sin, but not necessarily a change of heart. This word is used" with reference to the repentance of Judas (Matt. 27:3). "(2.) Metanoeo, meaning to change one's mind and purpose, as the "result of after knowledge. This verb, with (3) the cognate noun" "metanoia, is used of true repentance, a change of mind and" "purpose and life, to which remission of sin is promised." "Evangelical repentance consists of (1) a true sense of one's own guilt and sinfulness; (2) an apprehension of God's mercy in "Christ; (3) an actual hatred of sin (Ps. 119:128; Job 42:5, 6; 2" Cor. 7:10) and turning from it to God; and (4) a persistent endeavour after a holy life in a walking with God in the way of his commandments. "The true penitent is conscious of guilt (Ps. 51:4, 9), of "pollution (51:5, 7, 10), and of helplessness (51:11; 109:21," 22). Thus he apprehends himself to be just what God has always seen him to be and declares him to be. But repentance "comprehends not only such a sense of sin, but also an" "apprehension of mercy, without which there can be no true" repentance (Ps. 51:1; 130:4).

Now in fairness I will also put in the definition from my dear friend Merriam Webster....

Definition of REPENTANCE

: the action or process of repenting especially for misdeeds or moral shortcomings.

Well these two definitions are really not that different, it is just that one is much more in depth than the other.  Do you have a repentant heart?  Do you know that when you go to your heavenly Father and ask him to forgive you..not only are you forgiven, but God (there are those two little words again) also puts those trespasses or sins in the forgotten column.  

When we ask a regular person to forgive us...I wonder how often their response is as God's response.....just think upon this....the last time someone said to you, I am so sorry,  I really apologize for this behavior or transgression.  How do you respond?  Do you accept their apology? Do you forget their wrong doing?  I know these are difficult questions.  But we are to mimic our heavenly Father aren't we? 

Okay have you read Samuel 27? Do you see the havoc that David created?  Wow!  I seriously hope that none of you out there have done these things...but if you have, you may not be anointed to be the next king over Israel, but you can still have just as repent a heart as did David.  Therefore is there any reason that you couldn't have the same kind of relationship with God that David had?

Well it is time for the rest of my morning tasks, so go and find someone to bless!