An honorable aim
“For we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord's sight but also in the sight of man.” — 2 Corinthians 8:21
Throughout the Bible and throughout history, we are given powerful examples of men and women who lived lives that left an honorable legacy. There are, however, plenty of examples of the opposite.
An example of an honorable man, who is a beloved President of the United States, was Abraham Lincoln. Below is a snapshot of why he was so beloved and honorable:
Abraham Lincoln “was consistently recognized for being an ethical man who was frequently asked to act as a judge or mediator because of his impartiality. According to stories, when Abraham was working as a store clerk he mistakenly shortchanged a customer. Once the store closed that evening, Abe walked three miles to give the man mere pennies in order to make it right…Mr. Lincoln was known to be straightforward, and above all, honest.” (Spencer County).
When we make it our aim to be honorable not only in man’s sight but also in God’s sight, God rejoices! But what happens when our actions are not honorable?
Psalm 51:6 says, “You desire truth in the innermost being, and in secret You will make wisdom known to me.”
The author of Psalm 51 was written by King David. Although King David was an honorable man, there was a time in his life when his actions were far from honorable. David had sinned by committing adultery with Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife. Uriah was an elite solider in David’s army and David tried to cover up his sin by having Uriah killed. David wrote this Psalm after feeling the weight of his sin, and the pain that he caused to so many. The distance that he felt from God was almost unbearable. With true repentance, David turns to God and confesses.
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight; You are right in your verdict and justified when You judge.” — Psalm 51:1-4
God desires intimacy with us but it is important to note that unconfessed sin makes intimacy with God impossible. You see, as much as we desire to be honorable, there are times where we fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The Bible makes it clear that God is willing to forgive any sin, although we may suffer the consequences of our sins on this earth as David did, when we confess our sins with a contrite heart, God will forgive us and return to us the joy of our salvation.
“Psalm 51 expresses one of the clearest examples of repentance in all of Scripture. Countless broken sinners have found in these words an exquisite expression of their deeply felt need for God’s mercy and forgiveness. David’s confession has helped people examine excuses, halfhearted repentance, and lack of sorrow over sin that can keep them from experiencing pardon. David’s words also demonstrate the place of hope within confession” (Bible Commentary).
The life story of Abraham Lincoln is admirable and is note worthy to emulate. However, even more note worthy is God’s heart towards us when we lose our aim and sin against God and man. The love our Heavenly Father has for us is far greater and incomparable to any earthly father relationship. Not only does God long to embrace, forgive and restore us when we confess our sins, God longs for a close intimate relationship with His daughters and His sons.
The Good News Is This: Through Jesus’ perfect sacrifice for our sins on the cross, we can draw near to our Heavenly Father and receive forgiveness and intimacy from a merciful and gracious God!
God is waiting for us with arms opened wide. Let’s not turn away from God when we sin, but let’s turn towards God with a humble heart to receive His loving and warm embrace that is always waiting just for us!
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from Your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” —Psalm 51:10-11