Show Me Your Way, Lord

2. God’s reveals his mercy because of his goodness.

C. Verse 11. One last admission about the Lord’s mercy.

1. “For the sake of your name, O LORD, you forgive my guilt, although it is great.”

2. David the shepherd became king. King David became an adulterer. Became a murderer.

a. David slept with friend’s wife. b. Had Uriah killed in battle as a cover up. c. Great guilt.

D. Wow. What happened to David? From lowly shepherd to mighty king. He had it all. The Lord had provided him with everything. We can easily become finger pointers. Look at David. How could he arrange to have his friend, Uriah, killed in battle. What a sinner!! I have never murdered anyone. Who could possibly do such a wicked thing?!? Well, we might want to look in our own mirror. We will also see a wretched sinner. "Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him" (1 JOHN 3:15). Sinning goes beyond our actions. Sin infects our very thoughts. Guilty. Hating our brother is murder. Guilty. Sinfulness infects our words. God defines hate-filled, murderous threats as murder. Guilty. “…O LORD, you forgive my guilt…it is great.”

E. David used murder to cover up his adultery. How wicked! I have never had sexual relations with someone else’s wife. How could I do such a thing?!? Again, we look into the mirror. We will see the same kind of wretched sinner. "…I tell you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (MATTHEW 5:27). Adultery is not just the act of sexual immorality. God’s laws condemn the indecent thoughts that lurk in our dark hearts. Guilty. Filthy, indecent talk about the opposite sex is sin. Guilty. “…O LORD, you forgive my guilt…it is great.”

F. A Christian walk in a wicked world is challenging. On our own we are lost. Hopeless. In helplessness we pray to know and walk in the Lord’s truth. The prophet Nathan showed David the Lord’s way. David did repent. The Lord remembered his mercy. David was forgiven. We pray the Lord would remember his mercy for us poor, miserable sinners. "Let the wicked man abandon his way. Let an evil man abandon his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will show him mercy. Let him turn to our God, because he will abundantly pardon" (ISAIAH 55:7). The Lord does and will show us mercy. God “will abundantly pardon.” Interesting term. The mercy of our loving, heavenly Father forgives, forgives, and forgives again, again, and again. “…O LORD, you forgive my guilt…it is great.”

CONCL.: We do not know God’s will on our own. We cannot know God’s truth on our own. By God’s grace we know God’s will and truth and mercy. "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight" (PROVERBS 3:5, 6). The Lord makes our paths straight. Make me walk in truth, O Lord. Remember your mercy, O Lord. SHOW ME YOUR WAY, O LORD. Amen.