The heart of repentance is a heart that is restored. In verses 7-12 of the 51st Psalm, David describes this restorative process with four key parts. Through these verses, I want to show you that the restoration process God will clean, renew, establish and restore.

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David understood something significant about God, that sacrifices due to sin are not something that God takes pleasure in. The blood/burnt sacrifice was a requirement of the law, it was a technicality. For us today, we are not required to supply animal sacrifices because Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice for sin. However what God really desires is the same thing He desired from the beginning ¬– brokenness. The word used in the text for “broken” means just that – broken, shattered, crushed. In other words, He wants us to feel what He feels, the breaking of the heart that occurs when one's significant other steps out on the relationship. God desires more than just an apology; He desires the brokenness that only comes through repentance. Then repentance will lead to the restoration of the relationship.

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As a parent, not only is it frustrating when your child lies to you, it’s heartbreaking. It hurts to know that my child didn’t trust me enough to tell me the truth. I believe the same is with God. Do you trust Him enough to tell Him the truth? To bring your failures, reveal your inconsistencies and nakedness in His presence? God desires to help but we must first be honest. And I want you to know that He can be trusted.

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Nathan was a prophet, David’s trusted advisor ¬– He was sent by God to David to rebuke him for his evil acts. David was clearly wrong, there was no way around this at all. But the significance of this moment is not the sin, but David’s response to God’s rebuke. “Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD” (2 Samuel 12:13 NIV). David was humble. He didn’t try to refute God’s claim – there was no argument, no passing of the buck. Only humility.

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When we explore dimensions of God’s love, we encounter the very thing that has the power to fill every void, crack, gap or deficiency in our being. Love is the essence of who God is (1 John 4:8). All that He does is motivated by His love ¬– this includes both the blessing and correction; they both are founded in love (Proverbs 3:12). Because of the extravagance of God’s love and its power to complete us, the enemy (Satan) does not want you to truly understand this love. With this in mind, Satan will do anything he can to confuse God’s people and discourage the reception of His love. One of the ways Satan attempts to confuse and discourage us from God’s love is through trouble. We often think that God’s love eliminates trouble. While this is true in some respects, it’s not the case in every situation. God’s love is not a free pass around trouble, instead it is the virtue of God that meets us in our worst circumstances. It’s in our trouble that His love shines the greatest. Therefore, difficult times are not just an attempt to destroy you – the attack is not about the attack, but it’s an opportunity for the love of God to be experienced.

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The greatest discoveries in this world were not made by those who were sedentary – meaning those who have settled. No, the greatest discoveries of man were made by those who were exploratory – those who dared to step beyond the borders of what’s known into the realm of the unknown, the land of possibility.

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Today we will continue to walk through the Four Pillars of Intimacy. Yesterday we expressed that we must become established in our relationship with God through prayer, study, worship and fellowship. But what do we do after our relationship is established? We must engage – this is the second pillar of intimacy.

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Intimacy is not something that is given freely, it comes at a cost – intimacy requires commitment. In order to build an intimate relationship, it has to be supported by the right foundation. Therefore, I introduce to you the Four Pillars of Intimacy: Establish, Engage, Explore, Experience. We will take a closer look at each of these throughout the rest of the week so that we can learn how to develop intimacy with the Father.

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God’s love is not like man, it’s eternal, true and unconditional. While this may be true, for some it’s a challenge to receive this love because it’s a love that is unfamiliar. Therefore, we must invest time in getting to know the Source so that we can experience the promise. This need leads us to our theme for the week: “The Principle of Knowing.”

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One day Jesus was talking to His disciples about how to identify imitators, those who are disingenuous. He compared it to how we identify the species of a tree based on the fruit it yields. In the same way, we discover who people are not by their words but by their lives (Matthew 7:15-20). As a storyteller, your story should not be limited by words. Your testimony should go beyond words and be evident in the life you live.

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