The God of Restoration

So last night I roamed around downtown till about 9pm talking to people and sharing Christ. Before I left to come home there was a man that was hanging around us. A young homeless man. He attends the Waco Church Under the Bridge. He was curious about why we believe so strongly in God and wanted to know why. He began to talk about the terrible things he has done in the past. He wouldn't even tell us what they were just claiming we would have never heard of such bad stuff before. Claiming that he deserved all the punishment that he was receiving at that moment. 

I told him the story of David. David is kind of the role model of Kings. In all of history David was the greatest and most powerful King. God's choice example of how a King should be. I spoke in this manner showing how pleasing David was to God. And although pleasing, David was far from perfect. When he was older, yet not to old, he spent less time out at war and more time at home taking care of those affairs. From what I glean from the scriptures David's castle must have either been up on a hill or have been a very tall building. David was able to look out his window and see throughout the town. While he was home and men were out on battle he noticed a woman in her backyard taking a bath. 

David was a holy man, a righteous man who always did right in the eyes of the Lord. Always inquired of God's wisdom even before battle. He trusted in God and knew without a shadow of a doubt that God was the one that always brought him victory, yet although He knew God and loved God David was not a god, David was like us, a man of like passions. David sinned. He hit rock bottom. David called for this bathing woman and his servants brought her near and he lied down and had his ways with her. As a result she became pregnant. WOW! Guilt sunk in, his image was also in danger. One sin led to another. Now that he sinned he tried to find the leaves to cover up his naked inward unrighteousness that he had committed. The lady was the wife of one of his greatest warriors. He called for him and tried to convince him to go lay with his wife and take a vacation. The man would not leave Davids site but vowed to protect the King. David schemed, His pride was devouring him and humility was found not. David had to cover it up. No one could find out about this raunchy act of unholiness. HE MURDERED THE HUSBAND OF THIS WOMAN. Then he took her for his wife. This was his plan to cover up the pregnancy. 

David was now a lying, prideful, adulterous murder. The sin was spreading like cancer. But David soon woke up. His guilt was strong but his knowledge of God was deeper. He knew God, he knew of His deep loving kindness and how quick He is to forgive and how slow He is to anger. David prayed this and later he wrote this Psalm. 

Psalm 51:10 (NIV)
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Needless to say, God indeed answered his prayer and restored him. David continued to be God's anointed. In fact David continued to prophesy of God's great mercies and to share the knowledge of the future and the coming Messiah. David even drew up the plans for the new temple of God in which his son Solomon would later build. God is the God of restoration. This story touch this mans heart last night. He claims he will be at Church on Sunday as well. There is no sin to big that God can not heal or refuse to clean. Trust completely in the God of Grace. He has always been graceful and His throne is open 24/7 for those of His fold. Go to God, pray to Him, tell him you want this restoration. Tell him to renew a steadfast spirit within you. God will answer your prayers.