God teaches us some of the greatest lessons in life through our children. Children are a gift from the Lord, they are such a blessing that it changes you and your perspective in life. Kids have a great way of interpreting and assimilating information. The innocence and lack of clutter in their brain gives them insights that adults often miss or ignore.
Few days back, as we were preparing for our family prayer before we get to bed, our kids were jostling each other and our son snatched his toy from my daughter’s hand. His mom chided him and asked him to apologize, almost instantaneously our son, said a curt “sorry”. My wife then mentioned that while King Saul and Kind David both of them sinned, God forgave David only called him as a man after His own heart. She added that Saul just said sorry but David was really sorry about what he did. My daughter quickly responded that Saul did not say sorry with his heart but with his mouth however, David really felt it and said sorry from his heart. David says in Psalm 51 that, while redemption of sin is through sacrifice, God looks at the heart. He says “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise “. True redemption from sin comes when we accept the forgiveness of God through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. It was our place to die for our sins but He sacrificed His son Jesus and all that we need to do is repent and accept Jesus as our savior.
I think all of us go through life this way. We often say sorry without a thought of remorse. God expects us to really feel sorry from our heart for what we have done, repent and shun from that behavior. God looks for true repentance and not a customary sorry!!. Saul enjoyed all the privileges of being the first king of Israel but his heart was not after the Lord. David on the contrary, was always seeking opportunities to make God happy from the bottom of his heart. God was impressed with David’s love and responded appropriately by making him one of the Greatest kings in all of history.
Summary: God knows our heart, we cannot cheat him. God cautions us that ” I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins.. – Jeremiah 17:10″. He warns us that “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. – Galatians 6:7”
– Samuel Seelam