“Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.”
King David never did things half way. As a youth, he took on and defeated a seasoned nine foot warrior who was taunting Israel’s God. As the king who brought the Ark of God back to Jerusalem, he personally led the procession, dancing in the street. When it was time for a temple to be built, David opened his personal bank account and gave millions of dollars worth of gold and silver for his son, Solomon, to use for the temple.
When King David fell, he did not do that half way, either. He seduced one of his general’s wives and got her pregnant. He then had her husband killed so that he could marry her. One of the things that set David apart, however, was how he reacted when he was confronted about his sin.
He did not make excuses. He did not point fingers. When Nathan pointed his finger at David and said, “You are the man,” David’s repentance was instantaneous and genuine. He knew God was going to discipline him and he expected it to be severe. He had committed horrific sins and the consequences were going to be serious.
In Psalm 51, David wrote out his prayer of repentance for posterity. The entire Psalm is beautiful but I am always impacted by this verse. David does not say:
“Don’t take my throne away from me.”
“Don’t take my riches away from me.”
He didn’t even pray, “Don’t take my life away.”
Instead, he prayed, “Don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.” For David, having God’s presence in his life was the most important thing. May that be our prayer as well, before, rather than after, we have a fall.
How is your relationship with the Holy Spirit? Do you sense His presence in your daily life? What is one thing you can do this week to cultivate that relationship?
Annie and I are serving the Lord in the US, Africa, India, Nepal, and South America. We are training leaders and helping plant churches. You can join our team by clicking here. Thanks for your love and support!
