Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your Presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and swell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” even the night shall be light about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You (Psalm 139:7-12).
In this passage, we see that the grace of God is far-reaching. David tells us that we can never outrun grace. We learn that the tender hand of the Lord awaits us, and therein we find comfort. When all seems dark, God sees in our night time just as He sees in the light. These words can be great solace to us during trials.
How did David learn about God’s grace? He spent time with God until he discerned His heart. You also have the ability to find the heart of God and hear His heartbeat. In order to hear His heart, you must be near Him, pressed up against Him without distractions. Quality time spent in prayer, worship, and the Word will reveal His heart to you.
The revelation of His heart may cause you to become aware of sin in your life. It may bring conviction about actions, attitudes, and intents of the heart that before you may not have noticed. When God reveals that you have not been walking in accordance with His will, it is not to condemn you. If He wanted to condemn you, He wouldn’t have sent Jesus to pay the price for your sins. No, beloved, when He convicts you of sin, it is so that you can repent, make a change, and live differently.
David was a person who lived under law which says in part, “the soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4). If you took a man’s life, your life would be taken. What David does, after taking Uriah’s life, is run to the throne, grabs the horns of the altar and cry, “against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight” (Psalm 51:4). He prays, “do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me” (Psalm 51:11). And you know what? He found Divine forgiveness. He found what you and I take for granted every day. His death sentence was reversed! He was pardoned for his offense. Now that you and I live under pardon for our sins, we take it for granted. I tell you, it is shameful. We should be glorifying Jesus Christ for what He has made possible! Jesus Christ is the Mediator, the Surety, the Reconciler, He is the One Who has brought in a better covenant. You and I do not have to live under condemnation, we do not have to live under guilt, and it is not because we have not done something- it is because He paid the price. What glorious mercy!