King David can help us understand Steve McNair's death and decisions better

It has been two weeks since the death of former Tennessee Titans' quarterback Steve McNair. He was shot to death by his mistress in a murder-suicide that continues to impact thousands in Middle Tennessee.

There is a lot that can be learned from this event. The circumstances of his death do not need much elaboration. He made bad decisions, and they dearly cost him.

If nothing else, his decision making leading up to his death should teach us to never let our guard down. When most of us make mistakes, we have the opportunity to correct them.

However, McNair will not have that opportunity. Because of this, he leaves a shattered family and stunned friends. His wife, Mechelle, has become a widow under the most painful of circumstances. His four sons likely face years of struggling as they come to terms with their father's death and the situation in which it took place.

As a culture, we put famous athletes on a pedestal, but McNair's decision making shows that he was just like the rest of us. We are all capable of making horrible decisions like he did, and if a person thinks otherwise, he needs to go take a long look in the mirror.

His mistakes remind me a lot of the actions of King David in the Old Testament. David was described as a man after God's own heart. He was passionately devoted to God, and the impact of his life can still be felt thousands of years later.

Of course, as time passed, he made a lot of bad decisions, too. He committed adultery with Bathsheba, and then had her soldier husband Uriah killed in battle. There were other poor decisions associated with this situation, and his mistakes also had a shattering impact on him and the people around him.

David was an exalted man, but despite his status, his decisions revealed him to be just a man capable of making decisions to sin. If he and McNair can make these decisions, we must remember that we can, too.

In the aftermath of McNair's death, we also learned how to keep shocking events in perspective. Frankly, I believe folks in Middle Tennessee deserve credit for not allowing his death to become just another "scandal of the week."

In recent years, when a well-known person has fallen, the tendency has been to focus intensely on what that person has done wrong. While this is sometimes necessary, it often has resulted in the loss of all the other characteristics of that person. This approach has caused us to lose sight of how important it is to maintain a balanced approach when sizing up people and situations.

The media and those close to McNair did a good job of helping us maintain a well-rounded idea of who he was. Some criticized this by saying that they were protecting McNair too much and de-emphasizing the circumstances of his death.

Those critics are wrong. There is nothing the media or his friends could have said that will wash away the stain of how he died. It is part of his legacy. From this point, when a person thinks of McNair, his manner of death will be part of those memories. I don't know if that is fair or not, but it is a fact.

Despite the trauma of his death, life will continue. Even events that rattle us fade into the background over time.

If nothing else, this reminds us not to take life for granted.

It can all go quickly away.

And ease up on the finger pointing.

Psalm 51: A model for forgiveness and gratitude

Written by King David, many people consider Psalm 51 to be the most anguished confession of sin in the Bible. It is that, but it is also much more. The psalm provides us a blueprint to follow if we ever find ourselves dealing with the wreckage of wandering from God.

'Blueprint' may not be the best word to use when describing this psalm. Many times, a blueprint is a simple process to follow in order to achieve a goal. Blueprints tend to be more intellectually driven and do not usually include the contents of our heart.

While this psalmist's goal is repentance and restoration of fellowship with God, we need to always remember that one of the most important parts of us that God wants is our heart. If there is one characteristic here that leaps out at us, it is how David poured his heart out to God. David was genuinely sorry for what he had done and was not going through a ritualistic exercise so he could feel better about himself.

David wrote this psalm after he began his relationship with Bathsheba. While Bathsheba's soldier husband was away, David began an affair with her. The Bible details their relationship in 2 Samuel 11, including David's efforts to kill her husband and its aftermath.

Keeping in mind that at different points in his life many described David as "a man after God's own heart," his list of sins in this situation is startling. The list includes his lusting after Bathsheba, committing adultery with her, conspiring to deceive her husband, making her husband drunk, conspiring to murder then actually murdering him, and then ignoring his sins until Nathan confronted him in 2 Samuel 12.

David wrote this psalm at some point after Nathan confronted him. It was at this point that the enormity of his sins against God and the pain he had inflicted on people began to hit him. His writing sheds light on his regret and his desire to recapture a close fellowship with God.

The first nine verses are an urgent plea. He confesses that he sinned against God and needed His forgiveness. In the first two verses, he admitted his "transgressions." In verse four, it is clear that David knew that a person can sin only against God. He may have hurt other people, but God is the only One we can sin against.

He then asked that God forgive and cleanse him. In verse seven, he asked: "Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." Hyssop was a plant used in ritual cleansing at that time.

The final verses are a response of gratitude to God. He continued to petition God for forgiveness, but he knew that if he wanted to change, he would have to remain close to Him. In verses 11-12 he pleaded, "Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."

He then closed the psalm by saying he would teach others so that they would know all about God and know not to do what he did. In this case, David was willing to use his experiences as a teaching tool for others. Likewise, after we sin, good can come of it if we are humble enough to allow our experiences to help others when needed.

Sometimes, people think that things they have done may be too much for God to forgive. David's list of sins was severe and wide ranging, but God was there for him. When we do wrong to others, it is human to want to avoid those we have hurt. The same goes with our relationship with God. When we sin against God, we realize we have hurt Him so we are hesitant to turn to Him.

Do not let anything you may have done in your past be a stumbling block when it comes to God. He was there waiting for David when he was ready. He wants to do the same for you.

Food for thought

Psalm 23

A psalm of David

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.