And David said to God, 'I have sinned greatly in that I have done this thing. But now, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.' 1 Chronicles 21:8

If the world was looking for a poster boy for foolish ideas, Tatsuhiko Kawata might well be in the running.

Allow me to explain: thirty-nine-year-old Tatsuhiko is a resident of Tokyo, Japan. His story begins with him being married.

Getting married was not the beginning of his foolish thinking. Having a girlfriend while he was married was... the beginning of foolishness, that is.

Mr. Kawata's foolish idea was made even more foolish when he told his girlfriend he would marry her. It became worse when he, without having procured a divorce from his wife, continued to make detailed plans for his second marriage.

As the day to get hitched drew near, Mr. Kawata began to feel trapped. In a desperate move to get out of the wedding, which was scheduled to take place before 80 guests, he decided to do the only thing a foolish man could do. He set fire to the resort hotel where the wedding was scheduled.

Mr. Kawata explained his foolishness to the police by saying, "I thought if I set a fire, I wouldn't have to go through with the wedding."

King David would have understood. In the course of his life, David, like you and me, also did many foolish things. What separates David from so many is the fact that he eventually responded to the Lord's call to repentance. Our text from 1 Chronicles reports, "David said to God, "I have sinned greatly in that I have done this thing. But now, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly."

Amazingly, that is what the Lord does. Because of our Savior's perfect sacrifice, the Lord removes our sin and assures forgiveness to all who come to Him with a repentant heart.

Now, I can't say what foolishness you have been involved in, and I'm not inclined to tell you mine, but I will say this: "The Lord is merciful to all who call upon Him in truth" (Psalm 145:18).

Coming to the Lord with a repentant heart: that may be the most unfoolish thing we will ever do.

THE PRAYER: Dear Father, for my many foolish and disobedient deeds, I am truly sorry. May I, by the Spirit's motivation, come to You with a contrite heart. Further, having heard Your words of forgiveness, may I live my life wisely, well, and in thanks to Jesus, my Savior. In His Name, I ask this. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: Jeremiah 41-42    Hebrews 11:1-19

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