David took Bathsheba, another man’s wife, and arranged for her husband, Uriah, to die in battle. He then married her, but God sent Nathan to confront him. The prophet told of a rich man who stole a poor man’s beloved lamb. David angrily condemned the thief—until Nathan answered, “Thou art the man.” The king could recognize another man’s cruelty while carrying his own unconfessed guilt. We can do the same, finding words for everyone else’s wrongdoing while finding excuses for ours. David finally said, “I have sinned against the LORD,” and Nathan assured him that God had put away his sin. Forgiveness did not undo the harm, but concealment had offered no remedy at all. Peace with God begins where our excuses end.
“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” —Proverbs 28:13
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