Sin Disheartens

“Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice.” Psalm 51:8

I do not think you could find anyone in the Bible, other than Jesus, who loved God more than King David loved God. Their relationship was unique. God Himself, in fact, referred to David as, “a man after His own heart” (Acts 13:22). Perhaps that is why David was so devastated by his hidden sin of adultery and murder. Aside from the obvious reasons he would feel sorry, his heart was crushed over what sin had done to his relationship with the God he loved.

When something happens to us that is completely devastating often times we will say, “I was just crushed.” That is what David meant in Psalm 51:8 when he prayed, “Let the bones You have crushed rejoice.” Because of his sin, David no longer heard joy and gladness in God’s voice. Instead, he heard judgment and sadness.

If you are a healthy Christian, you will be an unhappy sinner. Just as surely as night follows day, in the life of a true believer sorrow follows sin. It always brings sadness and misery into the life of a believer.

For a year, three people had known about King David’s sin of adultery – Bathsheba (the mistress), Joab (David’s spiritual advisor), and David. Even though Bathsheba and Joab lived with the knowledge of his sin, David alone had lived with the guilt of his sin. For a year David had been in spiritual solitary confinement.

If it is not dealt with, sin sinks your heart into depression. It saps your heart of joy and sickens your spirit with sadness. At least, that is what it should do in the life of every believer. If it doesn’t, there is something bigger going on. If the Holy Spirit lives in you, it will be impossible for you to continue in habitual sin without these side effects. Do you want to know how healthy your relationship with God really is? Just look at how sin affects you. That will tell you everything you need to know.

Dear Lord, I want nothing more than to have a healthy relationship with you. And I realize that any unconfessed sin I have is going to affect the health of our relationship. So I pray that you would help me be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and the conviction He brings so that I can address sin when it happens and stay close to you. In Jesus' name, amen.