Broken And Beautiful

BROKEN AND BEAUTIFUL

OPENING TEXT:

“I am losing all hope; I am paralyzed with fear. I remember the days of old. I ponder all your great works. I think about what you have done. I reach out for you. I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain. Come quickly, LORD, and answer me, for my depression deepens. Don’t turn away from me, or I will die.” (Psalm 143:4-7, NLT).

• How many of you can relate to those words?

• These words were penned by King David, a man after God’s own heart!

• Job said, “And now my heart is broken. Depression haunts my days.” (Job 30:16).

• Do you feel like you’ve lost all hope, fearful, depressed, and thoughts of dying?

• Do you rarely laugh anymore, feel exhausted, and lack joy in your life?

• There is hope for those who find themselves in a pit of despair today.

PERSONAL TESTIMONY:

New Christian, call to ministry, Bible College, interning at local church. I was attending a Faith church where the pastor said we must always say: “I’m on top and rising.” You couldn’t talk about your doubts, fears, troubles or problems. Sin went underground. So I had no one to talk to. One night ended up in a club with some friends and got drunk. Guilt, shame, broken!

THE REALITY IN THE BIBLE:

I’m so thankful that the Lord doesn’t candy-coat the stories and characters of the Bible. They were real men and women with real problems, struggles and issues. They got depressed; they made wrong choices, and struggled with sin. One of my heroes is King David:

KING DAVID’S TRAGEDY:

“1 It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. 2 Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold. 3 So David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, "Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" 4 Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house. 5 And the woman conceived; so she sent and told David, and said, "I am with child.” (2 Samuel 11:1-5).

v.6-13 - tried to get Uriah to go home and sleep with his wife to cover up his sin

v.14-25 - that didn’t work, so he plotted to have Uriah killed on the battlefield

v.26-27 - Bathsheba mourned her husband’s death, then David took her home.

12:1-24 - God sent Nathan to David to confront him, David said, “I have sinned…”

How did this happen to a man after God’s own heart?

• He wasn’t fulfilling his destiny – he should have been out fighting battles!

• He was up late at night looking at something he shouldn’t have. (night time = dangerous)

• His friend Jonathan wasn’t in the picture anymore (good Christian friends can help us!)

• Regardless of how it happened – it did happen. But then what did David do?

KING DAVID’S PRAYER:

1. CONFESSING OUR SIN WASHES US CLEAN:

“1 Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.” (Psalm 51:1).

• The first thing David does is call out for God’s mercy, remembering His lovingkindness and tender mercies. Our God is a good, loving and forgiving God!

“2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. 4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight-- That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.” (Psalm 51:2-4).

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.” (v.10-11).

• When we sin, we feel dirty (guilty and ashamed) and only God can wash us clean.

• One of my favourite Bible promises: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9).

2. CONFESSING OUR SIN BRINGS JOY:

“Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice.” (v.8).

“Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.” (v.12).