Well-being


Text: Psalm 19:12-13

The Bible described King David as a man “after my own heart” (Acts 13:22). The apostle Paul was paraphrasing 1 Samuel 13:14, where a similar description of David occurs. In the 1 Samuel passage, Samuel was informing King Saul that because he had disobeyed, God was replacing him with a king after his own heart.

David was a man of faith and compassion. He even forgot King Saul’s life once, even when Saul was after him. However, David also recognised the condition of his heart. He knew he was not in a good place; he was not who he should be. As he reflected on God (creation and the Word), he came to take a step further and started looking at himself. As we consider our own lives, everything outwardly may appear to be alright, but it takes courage to look into our own hearts and to consider our spiritual condition, as David did.

David knew he had committed a terrible act and sinned against God. He also realised it was not within his ability to clearly see all he had done wrong. He was aware that he could easily fall again into decisions and motivations that could dominate him, following again his own desires for pleasure. However, he also knew it was not a path that he wanted to walk again, as he knew the consequences of sin in ways that were dreadful (see 2 Samuel 11).

This brings David to pray for forgiveness and protection. He needs helps from God to overcome the temptations of life. He asks for forgiveness for what he has done, and from that moment in time, protection to overcome the evil that he would be capable of in the future. He recognised the need for protection from himself.

I would like to invite you to use Psalm 19:13 as part of your prayer today. You may find it useful to use David’s prayer to become yours. Use this time to consider areas and circumstances that you may be more exposed to “wilful sins”. Ask the Lord to help you and deliver from temptation and evil.

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