2 Samuel 12

"So the LORD sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: 'There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle. The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man’s own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man’s lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest.'"
v.1-4
As a prophet, Nathan was required to confront sin, even the sin of the king. It took great courage, skill, and tact to speak to David in a way that would make him aware of his wrong actions. When you have to confront someone with unpleasant news, pray for courage, skill, and tact. If you want that person to respond constructively, think through what you are going to say. How you present your message may be as important as what you say. Season your words with wisdom.

David confessed and repented of his sin, but God's judgement was that his child would die. The consequence of David's sin were irreversible. Sometimes an apology isn't enough. When God forgives us and restores out relationship with Him, He doesn't eliminate all the consequences of our wrongdoing. We may be tempted to say, "If this is wrong, I can apologize to God," but we must remember that we may set into motion events with irreversible consequences.

During this incident, David wrote Psalm 51 giving valuable insight into his character and offering hope for us also.

Taken from the NLT Life Application Study Bible