I Am The One

I Am The One

 "David looked up and saw the Angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth with his sword drawn, reaching out over Jerusalem. So David and the leaders of Israel put on burlap to show their deep distress and fell face down on the ground. And David said to God, 'I am the one who called for the census! I am the one who has done wrong! But these people are as innocent as sheep--what have they done? O Lord my God, let your anger fall against me and my family, but do not destroy your people.'" I Chronicles 21:16-17

 I had my suspicions, but I couldn't prove it. Our youth group's honor system snack bar money kept coming up short. I had hoped that conscience would win the day, but sadly, it didn't. Finally, I caught the person and confronted him. He kept denying it like the child with the cookie still in his mouth as he tells his dad he didn't eat it. Instead of acknowledging that he was the one stealing and asking forgiveness, he just left and never came back. 

David was truly a remarkable man. God even said so by applying this description to him, "a man after my own heart." He was a warrior, a musician, a husband, a poet, a leader of men, a songwriter, a father, a king, and a shepherd. He was also human. Imperfect. Capable of the most egregious behavior. One of the tell-tale signs of one who loves God is not their perfection, but rather their willingness to say, "I am the one" when they've done wrong.

The temptation to cover up, deny, make excuses, or blame others is one we've all faced. When we see others doing it, we shake our heads in disbelief. "Why don't they just fess up?" we think to ourselves. The answer of course is, "The same reasons we don't." God honors the humble, repentant heart. He always has. People respect those who are willing to admit they've done wrong. Let's embrace David's example in our failures, "I am the one."

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