At first, David's story might seem to be a tragedy. He was a man of great talent, courage, and faith, but his adultery with Bathsheba led to shame and heartache. Nevertheless, the shame and heartache were not the end of his story. God saw something in David that was worth salvaging. God saw that he could still work in David's life to bring praise, honor, and glory to himself, so he forgave David's sin. Although David was not permitted to build God's temple, God used his psalms of repentance and gratitude for forgiveness to turn Israel to God. Furthermore, God gave his plans for the temple to David knowing he would motivate the priests, Levites, and all Israel to dedicate their wealth and energies to building a place where they could unite in giving praise to God. The story of David's life is not a tragedy; instead, the story of his life is the story of redemption. Because God redeemed and rehabilitated him, the prophet could summarize his life with these words:
He died at a good old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth and honor.Similarly, our lives do not need to end as a tragedy. Whatever evil we have done, whatever terrible consequences have followed, and whatever heartache we bear, God sees something worth salvaging. He can still work in us to accomplish great things which will cause those who see us to glorify God for the redemption he has worked in our lives.
-- 1 Chronicles 29:28
Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
-- Psalm 32:1
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