Daily text, Friday, February, 23. 2018

[Queen Esther]

I have sinned against Jehovah.—2 Sam. 12:13.

David accepted correction from Jehovah’s representative, the prophet Nathan. David also prayed to Jehovah, confessing his sins and expressing a sincere desire to be restored to Jehovah’s favor. (Ps. 51:1-17) Instead of being paralyzed by guilt, David learned from his mistakes. Indeed, he never repeated those serious sins. Years later, he died faithful, his record of integrity firmly sealed in Jehovah’s memory. (Heb. 11:32-34) What can we learn from David’s example? If we fall into serious sin, we need to repent sincerely and seek Jehovah’s forgiveness. We must confess our sins to him. (1 John 1:9) We also need to approach the elders, who can offer us spiritual help. (Jas. 5:14-16) By availing ourselves of Jehovah’s arrangements, we show that we trust in his promise to heal and forgive us. Thereafter, we do well to learn from our mistakes, move forward in our service to Jehovah, and look to the future with confidence.—Heb. 12:12, 13. w17.01 1:13, 14

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/dt/r1/lp-e/2018/2/23