How can you say that?

I was reading the other day and came across these words of King David near the end of his life. 2 Samuel 22:21-26 "The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me. 22 For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not done evil by turning from my God. 23 All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees. 24 I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin. 25 The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness [a] in his sight. 26 "To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless,"I read it, stopped and read it again.

Then I said to myself (since I was the only one there) HOW CAN HE SAY THAT? with a fair amount of incredulity. This is the same David who feigned insanity to escape his enemies. This is the same David who, in anger, was on his way to kill Nabal because of his rudeness. This is the same David who got another man's wife pregnant, had her husband murdered to cover up his "indiscretion" and then lied to everyone about it. This is the same David who says, "I have been blameless before Him (God) and have kept myself from sin."? THAT David? How can he say that? How can that be a part of the inspired Word of God?

Well, as I was contemplating it all, some other scriptures came to my mind. There is Isaiah 1:18, "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." And Ps 103:11-12, "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." and finally all of Psalm 32 which begins, "Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered."

And I saw it. David, later called "a man after God's own heart", could say those things with a straight face because he totally understood how complete God's forgiveness is. David confessed his sins and asked God to forgive him, THEN he ACCEPTED God's forgiveness! He took God at His word! When God forgives HE NEVER BRINGS IT BACK UP - it's GONE!

My problem is I remember how I have failed. I know my sin. And its hard to let go of guilt even after God has declared confessed sin forgiven.

Often if it seems too good to be true, it probably isn't true. But in this case God's forgiveness certainly seems too good to be true - BUT IT IS!

Help me wrap my brain around that one God...