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Scripture Reference: 2 Samuel 11-12

The Bible does not paint perfect pictures of the faith heroes. It is filled with honest accounts of the lives of great men and women of God. Reading about them shows us that God could still work through people today. We can relate to them on so many levels. These were real people, loving God with all their heart, though far from perfect.

Here we have David –a man after God’s own heart. He made horrible mistakes, but never denied committing them. We take a look at David’s repentant heart and see that he never took his sin lightly. He understood the weight of his offenses.

This account of David’s life begins as he, a king known for being personally involved in his country’s battles, decides to stay at home as his men fight the Ammonites.  His decision to stay in Jerusalem would change his life forever. With nothing better to do, he happens to see an unusually beautiful woman named Bathsheba. Only problem was that Bathsheba was married to Uriah the Hittite –one of the men fighting his battle against the Ammonites. This didn’t stop David from pursuing what he wanted. He was the king after all. In no time, Bathsheba is in the king’s bed.

The plot only thickens when Bathsheba later discovers she is pregnant. It clearly couldn’t be Uriah’s child, since he’s already been away for months fighting for his country.  David makes a plan: He invites Uriah to his palace under the premise that he wants an update on events on the battle field. David pretends to be kind to him by telling him he can go home and relax with his wife and even sends him a gift later. Uriah, however, didn’t do as the king commanded. Instead of going home, he slept with the king’s guards at the palace entrance. He figured that it would be disloyal to the rest of his fellow soldiers if  he sleeps in the arms of his wife in the comfort of his home, while the rest of the men are sleeping in tents or out in the fields.

This noble characteristic of Uriah only meant further complications for David. He wanted Uriah to sleep with his wife so that it may appear he is the father of the child she’s expecting. When he realized his plan wasn’t working, he does the most unconscionable thing. He sends instructions to Joab about how to get rid of Uriah. David sends his instruction for murder via the unsuspecting man he plans to murder. The letter said “Station Uriah on the front lines where the battle is fiercest. Then pull back so that he will be killed.” Joab did as he was instructed and Uriah was killed along with several other Israelite soldiers. These other soldiers also had to pay with their lives because of the king’s murderous plot. With Uriah out of the way, David married Bathsheba as soon as her period of mourning was over.

Months passed and then God decided it’s time to address the horror of David’s actions. Nathan the prophet confronts David, but he does this in an unusual way. This was to ensure that David understood the full weight of the atrocious thing he did. He starts by telling David a story. There was once a rich man and a poor man. The rich man lacked nothing and possessed vast amounts of sheep and cattle. The poor man owned nothing except one pet lamb he dearly loved and treated like it was his child. However, when a guest arrives at the rich man’s house, he does not kill one of his own livestock, he slaughters  the only lamb of the poor man and serves it to his guest. This hit right home. David, having been a shepherd himself, was sickened by this story and exclaimed, “The person who does such a thing deserves to die!” Then, the bombshell: “You are that man!” Nathan said. He then relays God’s message to David:

“I anointed you king of Israel and saved you from the power of Saul.  I gave you your master’s house and his wives and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much more. Why, then, have you despised the word of the LORD and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and stolen his wife.”

Immediately the weight of his terrible actions became clear to David, and in response he exclaims that he has sinned against God. As soon as David confesses and repents of his sin, God is ready to forgive. He says that David won’t pay with his life for his actions –a sentence David had himself pronounced –but is forgiven.

I believe here is another reason why David was a man after God’s own heart. If one compares him to Saul the difference becomes quite a stark one. When the prophet Samuel confronted Saul about his sin, Saul firstly tried to hide behind the cloak of sacrifices and offerings and he tried to downplay what he had done. When he discovered that he has been found out, Saul begged for another chance so that he may not lose face in the sight of the people. Saul regretted being found out more than he regretted sinning in the sight of God. David, on the other hand didn’t attempt any such cover up and he truly repented because he sinned against God.

Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge. (Psalm 51:4)

It is believed that David wrote Psalms 6:1-10; Psalm 32:1-11; Psalm 38-40 and most notably Psalm 51 in response to these events. In psalm 51 it is evident that David clearly understood that although we desire to do something to make things right with God for sinning against Him, it is not offerings and sacrifices God is after. Our good deeds cannot make up for our sins.

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. (Psalm 51:16-17)

David understood that God looks at the heart. He understood that we need forgiveness and we are at the mercy of God’s grace and kindness when we sin. It is offensive to God when we try to cover up or make up for our sin with religious actions. It’s our heart God is after.

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me (Psalm 51:10)

We all sin and are in need of God’s forgiveness. May we have hearts that are quick to repent and come before our God humbly seeking forgiveness. God understands our condition and has been very gracious to us for it is written,

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.  For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. (Romans 3:23-25a).

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Scripture Reference: 2 Samuel 9

As I continue in my journey of learning why David is called a man after God’s own heart, I will now look at how David showed God’s kindness to Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, and the grandson of his enemy, King Saul.

David is finally crowned king over all of Israel and is enjoying the life of a king, a successful and loved ruler as well as a military champion. He acknowledges that the Lord has been with him in all that he accomplished.

Sometimes, when a person is promoted from a low position to ruler over many –in David’s case the ruler over God’s people –one would often find the person being carried away on the waves of success. They soon forget the people who helped to get them there. In some cases, those who climb the ladder of success would even deny knowing their own family members, parents even, as they fear being associated with the lowly people from their past will tarnish their newly found popularity and their high esteem in society.

But incredibly, none of these things went to David’s head and he remembered those who walked this long journey with him. For one, he remembered his close friend Jonathan. They made a covenant as friends, and although Jonathan’s father was the reason for David’s difficult years, he and Jonathan remained connected as friends and they were loyal to each other. As we see in the following story, this loyalty extended beyond the grave.

Jonathan is now dead, having been killed in the same battle in which his father died. But being a man after God’s own heart, David didn’t forget his covenant with Jonathan. He didn’t consider Jonathan’s death as a way to get out of his covenant with his friend. No, David remained faithful to his promise to Jonathan.

David, remembering this promise, started wondering if any of Saul’s relatives were still alive so that he could show them kindness for the sake of Jonathan. In his household there was a servant called Ziba who had also been the servant of Saul. David summons him to inquire about any surviving members in Saul’s family.

Lo and behold, there is a member who survived. He was not only related to Saul, but is Jonathan’s own son who survived because his nanny at the time grabbed him when she heard of the king’s and Jonathan’s death and ran for safety. In the process she saved the life of Jonathan’s son, but in her rush to get away she dropped the boy. He was injured and since then was crippled in both legs. Forgotten, Mephibosheth lived in a place called Lo-debar in the house of a man named Makir.

David sent for him and Mephibosheth was overwhelmed by this show of kindness. With deep respect he bowed down before David. And characteristic of the God he serves, the first words David speaks to the boy is: “Don’t be afraid…” There are many instances recorded in the Bible where God would first address the fear in the one He approaches. Jesus did the same (being the visible image of the invisible God) when His disciples mistook Him for being a ghost as He approached them walking on the water.

David then explains to Mephibosheth that he doesn’t need to fear because he intends only to show him kindness because of his father Jonathan. David promises to restore to him all the property that belonged to his grandfather Saul and also provided him with servants and labourers who will take care of the land for him. More than that, David declares that from that day on, Mephibosheth will dine at the table of the king.

In response Mephibosheth respectfully bowed down before David, perplexed by this undeserved kindness. He saw himself as nothing more than a dead dog. But David restored this man’s dignity whether he deserved it or not.

Life Lessons:

• There are so many spiritual lessons locked up in this action of David. For one, just like Jesus, David showed mercy where it was not deserved. Jesus did it in so many ways and in so many incidences recorded in the Gospel accounts. And since Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever, He is still in the business of showing undeserved kindness.
• The word Lo-debar, where Mephibosheth found himself before the king invited him, means “no pasture,” “no word” and “no communciation.” That is precisely where we found ourselves before the King graciously invited us into His family. We were without food for our souls, with no connection to God, being separated from Him by the abyss of sin. But through His mercy shown to us in Christ Jesus, we are now forever led in green pastures, being given life by His powerful word and in constant communication with Him through His Spirit. And no one can pluck us out of His hand.
• This story also reminds us of  how we have been crippled by sin, but how God summoned us to His table because of His promise to Jesus –“I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.” And even though we didn’t deserve any kindness, the Lord allows us to dine at His table as if we were one of His own children, just like the way in which David treated Mephibosheth. “And from that time on, Mephibosheth ate regularly at David’s table, like one of the king’s own sons.”
• David showed God’s kindness to Mephibosheth because many years earlier he made a promise to his friend Jonathan, Mephibosheth’s father. Since Jonathan died, David was no longer under any obligation to fulfil his promise, but since his yes is “yes” and his no, “no”, he didn’t forget his promise and honoured his covenant with his friend. Likewise, God also continued to remain faithful to His promise to David, His servant. Centuries after God made a promise to David to establish his kingdom forever, God saved the inhabitants in Jerusalem from the hand of the king of Assyria because of his servant David (see Isaiah 37:35). God is faithful to all His promises and every one of them will be fulfilled, just like every one of His past promises had been fulfilled.

Seen in this context, this is a very encouraging story. It is not just some historical account. It is not only another reflection on why David was called a man after God’s own heart, but also serves to encourage us. We serve a merciful God who loves to extend mercy and whose love never fails. He remains faithful to us, regardless of our imperfections, because He is righteous and He made a promise to Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Related articles

• Giving Credit where Credit is Due (jesuscarriesme.com)
• Christ Jesus, the One Mediator between God and Man (briancoatney.com)
• Foundation of David Discipleship Part Two (mudpreacher.org)
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• Crippled in Both Feet (brokenbelievers.com)
• David’s Response when His Enemy Fell (thoughtsonscripture.com)
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Here is another reason why I believe David was a man after God’s own heart: He didn’t rejoice when his enemy fell. Although King Saul was the reason he found himself demoted from military champion to fugitive, David did quite the opposite than rejoice when news reached him of the King’s death.

He had many reasons to rejoice. Suddenly, there was now a real possibility that he would be crowned the new king. He would finally be rewarded for all the years he suffered as an outcast.  Also, he can now breath easy and will no longer need to run for his life. But David did more than not rejoice. He mourned when he heard the news. And the mourning wasn’t a show of piety;  the sorrow was from his heart. His men joined him and they tore their clothes as an outward sign of unspeakable sorrow and they fasted from the time they heard the news until evening.

He went one step further, did David: He wrote a lamentation to express his sorrow and ordered that the people of Judah be taught this. In this song one can see the purity of David’s heart. He speaks of Saul and Jonathan as people who were loved and admired and says they were “swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.” He tells the daughters of Israel to weep for Saul.

The Bible warns us in Proverbs 24:17-18 not to rejoice when our enemies fall:

Don’t rejoice when your enemies fall;  don’t be happy when they stumble. For the LORD will be displeased with you and will turn his anger away from them.

From a human perspective, it is easy to rejoice when someone who’s hurt us start reaping what he sowed. It gives us a sense of satisfaction and the feeling that justice has been done. But in the end, all of us are guilty of at least once hurting someone else –whether inadvertent or deliberate. So if all of us get exactly what we deserve, what would be left of the human race? As the saying goes, “An eye for an eye will only leave the whole world blind.”

So, the Lord, in His wisdom calls us to a higher standard than the expected norm. He says to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. That certainly also applies to how we would like people to respond when we fall upon hard times ourselves. We would appreciate it if people would show us mercy in our difficulties instead of looking if we deserved the adversity or not. Let’s then do the same even for our enemies.

Instead of rejoicing when our enemy gets what’s been coming to him, let this rather be an opportunity to reach out to him and reflect on God’s justice. Let’s not forget the Lord’s mercy towards us. Let’s not forget that God does not show favoritism and that there may very well be a lot of adverse things we deserve too, but which God in His mercy protected us from.

The ultimate example of this principle is Jesus Christ when He prayed for his enemies while hanging on the Cross, asking God to forgive them because they do not know what they are doing. Jesus understood that if God had to deal with them justly, they stood no chance. Even though they hurt Him, despised Him, spat on Him, insulted Him and humiliated Him, He prayed they will be forgiven –and all this while He never did one thing to deserve the treatment He got from them.

What goes around comes around, but it is also written that mercy triumphs over judgment. So, let this allow us to reflect on how we respond when our enemy falls. Do we rejoice? Or do we pray and ask the Lord how we can help? May the Lord have mercy on us so that we may follow the perfect example of Jesus Christ, “Son of David.“

Suggested Reading:

2 Samuel 1

Romans 12

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I believe David’s generous heart was one more reason why he was called a man after God’s own heart.

The Story:

Prevented from going into battle with the Philistines, David and his men returned to Ziklag. Here they were met with the most devastating sight. Ziklag was completely plundered by the Amalekites. It was burned to the ground and their families were driven away like a herd of cattle.  David and his men were completely overwhelmed and in their despair they cried until they could cry no more.

Because of their surpassing loss, some of David’s men started doubting his capabilities as a leader, blaming him for their tragedy. They started talking among themselves about getting rid of David by stoning him.

David became distressed as heard this, but in the face of this combined with his own loss, David did the right thing. Instead of figuring out a way of saving himself or sweet talking his men into staying loyal to him, David found strength in the LORD his God.  He turned to God for counsel. “Should I chase after this band of raiders? Will I catch them?” And the Lord answered him, “Yes, go after them. You will surely recover everything that was taken from you!”

With that, David and his 600 men set out to pursue the Amalekites. They arrived at the Brook of Besor and here 200 of the men had become too exhausted to cross over the brook. David left them there to watch the supplies and continued the pursuit with the remaining 400 men.

It is clear that God was with them because, as they were continuing on their way, David’s men came across an Egyptian man in a field. They took him to David and he was given some bread to eat, water to drink, some fig cakes and raisin clusters. As his strength returned, David questioned him. He said he was a slave to an Amalekite master and he participated in the raid on Ziklag. However, when he got ill his master dumped him. And so, with the arrival of this Egyptian man David and his men was saved further haphazard searching. The rescued man took them straight to the enemy. The cruelty of his master was precisely the thing that made David’s kindness stand out more and because of David’s benevolence towards this man, they were taken straight to the camp of the raiding band.

David and his men rushed in while the Amalekites were still gorging themselves on their plunder. No one escaped except 400 young men who fled on camels and David recovered everything they had lost.

“Nothing was missing: small or great, son or daughter, nor anything else that had been taken. David brought everything back. He also recovered all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock.”

Successful, they returned to Ziklag. They came again to the Brook of Besor where they met with the 200 men who stayed behind and guarded their equipment. David greeted them with great joy. But not everyone was happy to see the guys who stayed behind. Not everyone had generous hearts.

The selfish men among them said that the men who stayed behind shouldn’t be sharing in any of the spoils. But David wasted no time and nipped these evil thoughts in the bud.

“No, my brothers! Don’t be selfish with what the LORD has given us. He has kept us safe and helped us defeat the band of raiders that attacked us. Who will listen when you talk like this? We share and share alike—those who go to battle and those who guard the equipment.”

This is evidently one more reason why David was a man after God’s own heart. He recognized that nothing that they have gained was through their own strength, but because God has given them victory. He also recognized that those who guarded the equipment played an equally essential part in the big picture of the victory as did the men who fought in the battle. He went further and sent gifts to the friends he had in Judah who remained loyal to him.

Being stingy with God has given him was the furthest thing from David’s mind. He understood the folly of being tight-fisted with what he had freely received from God’s generous hand. He understood that in God there is an endless supply and he need not fear running out of anything. David shows that the more we give, the more we will receive.

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In this series, where I aim to explore why David was called a man after God’s heart, I will today look at David’s complete trust in God -so complete in fact that he left it over to God to deal with his powerful enemy: King Saul. He understood that vengeance belongs to God when he was given an opportunity to kill Saul. David made a choice and he made the right one.

The slaying of Goliath proved to be a turning point in David’s life. Never again will he be an obscure shepherd boy from Bethlehem. From that day onwards, David became well-known and well-loved as a military champion.

The events of the Valley of Elah that day will thereafter make it impossible for Saul to ever again forget about the existence of David. He may have forgotten that David had before played the harp in the palace courts to calm his tortured mind, but never again after the slaying of Goliath will Saul be afforded the opportunity to ask, “Whose son are you, young man?”

Impressed by David’s courage and strength, Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family in Bethlehem. Instead, David now joined Saul’s army. David couldn’t put a foot wrong. Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that the King eventually appointed him as a commander in his army –a choice that pleased many, including the both the troops and commanders in the army.

However, given Saul’s insecure character combined with his already unstable mind, it wasn’t long before Saul’s admiration of David turned to consuming jealousy. He became paranoid and figured that if David continued to grow in popularity and remained successful in all his ventures , he may soon be dethroned and David made king. He was right to a certain extent. David was going to be king, but not because of his popularity and successes –because God had already anointed David as king long before his victory over Goliath.

Saul wasted all his time and energy trying to fight what God had already established will be. Saul wanted to cling to a throne that was never his to start with. He was only there because God allowed him. But Saul obviously didn’t understand this. God gave him something and then he owned it to the point where he was prepared to kill to keep it. Perceiving David as the enemy of his throne, he set out in callous and calculating ways to kill someone who was more loyal to him than any of his other men (see 1 Samuel 22:14). Saul’s hatred of David was fuelled not by the truth, but by his own paranoid ideas that came into his mind, which he declared as the truth to himself.

So, Saul’s distorted mind and his wicked intents turns David into a fugitive. He flees, finding himself hiding in caves in the wilderness, trying to escape from Saul who pursued him relentlessly. He wasn’t alone however. Soon he had a group of about 400 men joining him and being loyal to him –respecting him for the larger than life character that he had already displayed during his time in Saul’s army.

For all Saul’s resources, he couldn’t catch David. The Lord prevented Saul from finding him.  God was on David’s side and Saul enviously recognized this. He feared David for that reason, but instead of causing him to reconsider his violent intentions towards David, it only fuelled his hatred. Saul did come close in one incident, but just when it looked that it was all over for David, Saul received news that the Philistines had attacked the land. He then had to return with his men to fight the Philistines. And so the Lord helped David in one remarkable escape after the other.

Then, twice David had the opportunity to kill Saul. And this is where we can once again see why David was a man after God’s heart. Even his men told him that this may just be it!

“Now’s your opportunity!” David’s men whispered to him. “Today the LORD is telling you, ‘I will certainly put your enemy into your power, to do with as you wish.’” (1Samuel 24:4).

As Saul lay there sleeping, David crept up to the king and cut off a piece of his garment. But he was immediately filled with remorse. This is how he responds:

But then David’s conscience began bothering him because he had cut Saul’s robe. “The LORD knows I shouldn’t have done that to my lord the king,” he said to his men. “The LORD forbid that I should do this to my lord the king and attack the LORD’s anointed one, for the LORD himself has chosen him.” So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul (1 Samuel 24:5-7).

David wasn’t satisfied with just that however. He still wished to win back Saul’s favour and as Saul was leaving the cave, oblivious of the danger he had just been in, David shouts to him and bows down before him –giving him the honour deserving of a king:

“May the LORD judge between us. Perhaps the LORD will punish you for what you are trying to do to me, but I will never harm you. As that old proverb says, ‘From evil people come evil deeds.’ So you can be sure I will never harm you. Who is the king of Israel trying to catch anyway? Should he spend his time chasing one who is as worthless as a dead dog or a single flea? May the LORD therefore judge which of us is right and punish the guilty one. He is my advocate, and he will rescue me from your power!” (1Samuel 24:12-15).

And by leaving vengeance to God, David once again proves why he is a man after God’s own heart. “Vengeance is mine, says the Lord.” David’s trust in God was so complete that he could wait for the Lord to judge his enemies at His appointed time. He did not waste his energies in trying to concoct all manner of schemes to “get back” at Saul. He trusted that His God will do that. He knew that vengeance belongs to God.

This reflects also the words of Paul to the Romans:

Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the LORD. Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good (Romans 12:19-21).

Had David given in to the opportunity to get back at his enemy, evil would have conquered him and he would have been no different from his enemy.

When we are hurt by the actions or words of people, especially when we know we are innocent and undeserving of such hurtful actions or words, it is human to desire that they should pay for their unjust behaviour. However, when we truly understand that God is just and that He doesn’t turn a blind eye to the wrongs perpetrated against us, we can rest in His love and leave vengeance over to God. When He repays, He does it in ways so remarkable and complete that we will be filled with awe. This does not mean we wish evil on our enemies, but it means that we know that God’s judgments against our enemies may also mean that they could repent of their deeds and turn to Him and be saved.

David expressed his hurting feelings openly before God in prayer and often prayed in the psalms that God will let the enemy pay for his deeds. This is only being honest about how he felt. He didn’t try to mask his true emotions. He understood that God knows exactly what lives in his heart. However, he left those emotions there in God’s hands and didn’t allow his pain to cause him to sin and allow evil to overcome him.

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In my search to find out why David is called a man after God’s own heart, I have looked at the way David prayed and David’s humility. Combined with that humility, there was an unshakable faith in God –in His goodness, in His character, and in His power. This made David stand out above the rest.

While in a physical sense, Goliath of Gath was the one who stood out among the rest in the Valley of Elah, David was the real Giant. His faith in His God was so overwhelming that it didn’t make any sense to him that the Army of the Israelites would stand there for 40 days, listening to the taunts of Goliath and flee in terror, day after excruciating day.

He wasn’t in the army. His three older brothers were and he was merely sent there by his dad, Jesse, to take some extra food supplies to them and to bring some news back about their wellbeing to his father. As he was talking to his brothers, out came Goliath from among the ranks of the Philistines and shouted in his usual defiance:

“This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.”

Not even the king stood up to this man, but David, the shepherd boy from Bethlehem, couldn’t fathom the fact that this uncircumcised Philistine dared to defy the Army of the Living God. And this while everyone was just standing there, cowering in fear! David understood the power they had as the representatives of the Almighty God, but apparently neither the king nor his soldiers had a clue as to who is on their side. In response to Goliath’s loudmouthed taunting, David asks:

“Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

David’s enquiries evoked some unpleasant responses, not from strangers, but from his own brothers. It is ironic that while God saw David’s heart and said this is a man after His own heart, David’s brother, Eliab, saw the complete opposite. Claiming to know David’s heart too, he says to him:

“I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is.”

How differently does God not see us! This is a reminder that we should be careful in claiming we know the heart of another. David had a heart filled with humility in God’s view, yet his brother said his heart was wicked and conceited.

However, David’s faith in God was not affected by his brother’s view of him. Ignoring Eliab’s insults he stands now before the king, saying the same thing he told everyone else:

“Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”

Considering David’s youth and inexperience, Saul also tried to dissuade him but eventually agreed. He dressed David in the king’s gear, but David discarded these and opted instead to take on the Philistine with weapons with which he was well-acquainted. And so David fearlessly marched towards the Philistine armed with a sling, five stones and faith in His God.

Not once did David draw back in fear when he came face to face with the terrifying Goliath. The Bible records in detail Goliath’s height and how impressive his armour and weapons were, but in the end, this only serves to bring a deeper insight into the kind of faith David had. David had a faith that made Goliath look small.

When we look through the eyes of the flesh, our obstacles appear overwhelming and they make us cower in fear. We draw back because our eyes are fixing on the wrong things. However, when we look through the eyes of faith, our obstacles appear minute compared to the greatness of the God we serve.

David wasn’t visually impaired. He saw the same man the Israelites saw. He also saw the man that stood about 3 meters (9 feet 9 inches) tall. The average size of a man is about 1.7 meters (5 feet 7 inches) depending on geographical location. Goliath was almost double in height than the average men around him.  But whereas the Israelite army was terrified by the presence and words of their enemy, David ran towards the enemy to take him on instead of running away from him. By faith, David placed Goliath next to God and realized that Goliath is small compared to his God.

The stand-off was caused by the fear of the army and their leader. They delayed their victory because they were filled with fear instead of faith. “Faith is the victory,” as David clearly shows us in this incident.

Personally I have experienced this faith that makes huge obstacles appear ridiculously small. We nearly lost our son when he was four years old. His condition was so bad that none of the experienced doctors over him had any hope that he would recover. In fact, they told us to prepare for the worst and if he should survive, he will be severely brain damaged for the rest of his life. It was in that time that God gave me faith to believe in the impossible. People thought I had lost my mind. I talked and planned as if there was nothing wrong with my son while all the physical signs of brain damage were there. But God is not a man that he should lie. Our son made a full recovery much to the astonishment of all the medical professionals who supervised him. When we fix our eyes on Jesus, we will face any obstacle with confidence.

I pray that the Lord will grant this faith to all of his children who face impossible obstacles at this point in their lives. Fear makes our problems seem overpowering, but faith puts them in their proper place and makes them look small compared to God.

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When the world chooses a leader, it looks for the obviously strong candidate who has already proven him or herself to have some outstanding qualities. They look at the outward appearance and very little consideration may be given to the heart of the potential new leader.

But not God. When a replacement for an outgoing leader is sought in this world, we look the the powerful, the strong, the impressive. God on the other hand, chose Israel‘s next leader not from the affluent families well known to the palace and other leaders. He sends Samuel out to a young boy who tends to a few sheep. Completely the opposite of what the world would have chosen. David the shepherd boy from Bethlehem the new king? It would have sounded laughable by today’s standards. But God saw what everyone else failed to see. He saw David’s heart. They looked at the outward appearance and missed a potential great leader in the making.

One of the things that makes me curious about David was that Jesus was not ashamed to be called “Son of David.” That says more than many books can say. What was it about David that caused God to declare David was a man after His own heart? In the previous post we looked at the way David prayed. Today we will look at his humility. For ultimately, I believe, humility was the big distinguishing factor between King David and King Saul.

David made mistakes just like Saul did. But where David ran to God with his mistakes and confessed them, humbly asking for forgiveness, Saul tried to downplay his mistakes and hide them under a cloak of religious rituals. He disobeyed God and when Samuel approached him at Carmel, he greeted Samuel with a religious sounding: “The LORD bless you…” Why, he even had a sacrifice prepared for God! While David understood that God does not desire offering and sacrifice to make restitution for our sins, Saul tried to polish up his mistakes with religious sounding words and religious rituals. He tried to hide the wrong deeds with the right religious rituals and sayings. It is however, a contrite heart that God will not despise. Samuel corrected the king by saying:

“Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice…“

Although we may desire to do something about our sins and try to make it better with religious actions, David understood that no religious ritual can make it better. God accepts the contrite heart who deeply feels the sorrow for the sin committed against God. Saul, however, was not so concerned about receiving God’s forgiveness. Whereas David often wrote about his delight in God’s forgiveness, Saul was more concerned about trying to avoid the consequences of his actions and losing face in the sight of the people.

With the rejection of King Saul still fresh in his mind, Samuel went to Bethlehem to anoint the new king. Having not met David before then, he went there with preconceived ideas of what this new king will look like. So much so that when he saw Jesse’s first son, he was convinced this must be it. Eliab had all the makings of a king and Samuel thought: “Surely the LORD’s anointed stands here before the LORD.”

Eliab was tall, muscular, a warrior, good looking –not unlike Saul in physical stature. But as Samuel passed by the one muscular son after the other and every time heard that God did not choose this one or the other one or any of these muscular guys, he must have wondered who God had in mind. He turned to Jesse and asked, “The Lord has not chosen these…Are these all the sons you have?” As it turned out, Jesse did have another son. He just didn’t think David would even be considered and so left him to tend the sheep while his big, strong sons were part of the parade.

The very one that Jesse thought could never be chosen, was the one that God chose. How we miss it sometimes when we choose our leaders! We look at all the things God does not look at. Does he dress well, speak well? Is he strong? Was he in the football team? Does he come from an influential family? Here we can see how both Samuel and David’s own father were looking at the wrong things. God chooses differently. God makes up His own mind about us.

Are you the odd one out? Your entire family has become accomplished members of society and you are the one left to do the menial tasks. You feel out. You wish you were like the rest of them. You desire to “fit” in. Perhaps you are even brushed aside when people come to visit.

May David’s story encourage you. Don’t feel out. God has a different plan for you than He has for others. Don’t compare yourself to them. God’s choices are not people’s choices. He looks at the heart. He sees your potential long before even your own family members can see it. Let’s quit trying to be like the rest and be content that God made us each unique. He chose us to stand out, not to fit in. Perhaps others see you as the odd-ball. That doesn’t matter however. God is not swayed by popular opinion as we see in the story of David.

Perhaps you are doing nothing you would consider significant right now. But keep your eyes on God. Nothing is insignificant in God’s eyes. Since David was humble enough to care for the sheep while his brothers were all part of King Saul’s mighty army, God went right to where David was and raised him up not to be part of the army, but to become the most successful leader of that army.

It is written that we must not despise the day of small beginnings. David wasn’t phased by small beginnings. Jesus said, “He who is faithful over little will be ruler over much.” If we despise the little, we may never gain any more. Since David was faithful over little, his was rewarded in the most incredible way: He became the ruler of all God’s people and the Son of God was not ashamed to be called the Son of David!

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Scripture Reference: Psalm 27:10-14

With 2012 just around the corner, I have decided to look into the life of David more intimately in the New Year. Since God called David a man after His own heart, I am eager to learn more about him. What was it about David’s heart that God loved so much? There are many reasons, but I will start this journey by taking a look at the way David prayed. David’s prayers are examples for us, not to copy like parrots, but to understand the kind of prayers that please God.

As I read the prayers of David, one thing stands out for me: He is completely honest with God about his emotions, his fears and his sinfulness. He doesn’t try to sweet talk His way into God’s favour. He has long ago learnt that God accepts us because of His mercy and not because of anything we have done. It is only by grace that we can receive favour from the Lord.

With that being established in his heart, David knows there is no point in trying to impress God with flowery prayers that does not reflect the true condition of his heart. He knows that God hates hypocrisy and welcomes our honesty. He knows that God looks at the heart and not the outward appearance. He is sure that God’s eye does not miss a thing, no matter how deep it is hidden in our hearts. For this reason he sees the folly of trying to sound “spiritual” when we pray. Instead, He addresses God as His friend, although never without reverence and the utmost respect of His holiness and righteousness.

In psalm 27 we see him pray about fear and we see him praising God and elevating Him, affirming that if he has God on his side, he need not dread anything or anyone. However, he also acknowledges his sinfulness and prays that God will never turn His back on him because of his many transgressions.

He always seems to affirm his faith in this way: He would pray what he honestly feels in his heart. He fears that God may desert him since he is so imperfect, but then he immediately follows the expression of his emotions up with the truth of God’s character. His faith in God directs his life, not his emotions. In previous verse he prays:

Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Saviour.” (Verse 9).

But immediately he follows that up with an affirmation. Even if his own parents should abandon him, his God will accept him.

He then goes on to acknowledge his need for guidance. He does not know it all:

Teach me Your way, Lord. Lead me in a straight path…

He is not perfect. He makes mistakes. He also knows that he has enemies who delight in his mistakes and gloats when he falls. For this reason, he prays that God will take notice of the enemies who sit and wait for him to fall beyond the point where he can get up again.

Sadly, in today’s life, these enemies are sometimes our own brothers and sisters, who gloat in the fall of another Christian. It was the same for Jesus. His own friend turned on Him and betrayed him to the church leaders. David was also familiar with the pain of betrayal. He knew all about the disillusionment that comes when you have been kind to someone and then find that you are being stabbed in the back by the very people you went out of your way to help. David knows they wish him harm, although he only thought kindly of them.

However, we do not see him work out ways to get them back. Instead, he turns to God and asks that God will not let their bad desires for him come true. Instead of allowing fear and thoughts of revenge to fill his heart because of the ill-intents of his enemies, he takes it to God in prayer.

We have no control over what other people may silently be wishing on us in their hearts. But we can go to the One who is in full control of our lives –God our Saviour. Remember, that no one can curse what God has blessed. We need not fear their evil desires towards us.

In this instance, David was up against people who were determined to undermine his integrity. They were out to give him a bad name, spreading false rumours about him.

Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations.

Since we have no control over the words of other people and we cannot run around stopping every mouth, it does not mean that we have lost all control. We control our decisions. We can decide to take it to the Lord in prayer when we come up against the bad intentions of others towards us. God knows how to deal with liars. Let that be enough for us. “It is mine to avenge...” says the Lord. We will drive ourselves crazy if we try to control what others think or say about us.

May this prayer be an example for us on how to handle situations where people spread lies concerning us. David did not pray this prayer from a position of superiority where he considers himself to be a better person than his enemies. Earlier in the psalm, he acknowledged that he is sinful as well: “do not turn your servant away in anger” By saying this, he acknowledges that he is full of mistakes as well. He prays for protection because of God’s mercy, not because he deserved God’s help more than others do.

Be merciful to me and answer me.

He appeals to God’s mercy. He doesn’t lay claim to anything when he prays for protection against people’s evil intents against him.

Now, when looking at David’s conclusion, it confirms the reality that prayer may not always immediately change our circumstances, but it certainly changes our attitude towards the circumstances. After praying for protection against the slanderers, he says so beautifully:

I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

That is how the Spirit of the Lord changes our hearts during prayer. Even though David is concerned about what the outcome may be of all the lies against him, he remains confident of this!

It doesn’t matter how insurmountable this problem may seem right now. I know that I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. I don’t have to wait until I die to see His goodness. I will see it right here, because He the Lord of the living. He cares for the living as much as He cares for those who died in Christ.

Finally, David, in characteristic fashion, takes the encouragement he received in prayer and serves others. Often, before we start praying about our concerns we are so caught up in our own misery. And then, after praying we feel like reaching out to others. It is clear that the same happened to David, for as encouragement to others he writes:

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

As you enter into the New Year, perhaps you are still distressed over unanswered prayers and questions. Perhaps the problems of 2011 still weighs so heavy on you that you feel no desire to look forward to another year. But I want to encourage you: Don’t give up just yet. God isn’t done yet. He has reserved goodness for you to enjoy also in this life. Wait for Him. He will come. He is never too late. Be strong! Take heart! Wait for your God. He won’t disappoint you. You don’t have to be perfect before He helps you. If only perfect people could ask for help, who can be helped? By His tender mercy, He will answer you.

A big thank you for your readership and I pray you have a happy, blessed and prosperous New Year! May we all be strong, take heart and wait for the LORD.

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Image by paparutzi via Flickr

Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests. (Luke 2:14).

When I reflect on what Christmas time was like during my childhood, I realize that what I loved most about Christmas was the amicable and peaceful atmosphere. It seemed everyone was a little friendlier, happier, jollier and more laid back.

My grandparents’ home was packed with lots of people who filled the air with cheerful voices and laughter. And all that was neatly rounded off with the sounds of Jim Reeves Christmas songs on the turn table. Family and neighbours and friends popped in with gifts and from my childlike perspective, the joyful atmosphere was palpable not only in our home but also down the entire street.

Since I live in South Africa, there was no snow to scrape away before visiting someone. Running around to the neighbour’s house to wish them a Merry Christmas and exchange gifts was effortless. Christmas is during summer so we have a combination of the joy of summer and the joy of Christmas amplifying the festive mood around this time of year.

Although the presents were part of the excitement, I don’t believe I would have enjoyed receiving them had there not been a peaceful atmosphere around me. Somehow, receiving a gift in the midst of animosity seems completely out of place. Joy is absent where peace is absent.

This made me think of what God did when He announced the arrival of His Gift to mankind. Through His angels He announced peace to those on whom His favour rests. His favour rested on those whom He let in on the great event. The angels told the shepherds in the field:

Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. (Luke 2:10-11).

This must have been overwhelmingly good news to them! For thousands of years the Jewish people waited on this Messiah and here they get the news of His arrival as an inside scoop. They received their message straight from heaven’s messengers. After this they hear the declaration of peace on all with whom God is pleased to share this news.  “…and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.” (Isn’t it conspicuous how God didn’t go to the President, or the richest man alive, or the most intelligent man on earth to share the news. He told the shepherds!)

And with this announcement of peace, the stage was set for receiving the Gift of God with great joy. Where there is peace, there is joy!

Joy to the World! The LORD has come!

I would like to wish all the readers of this blog a wonderful, peaceful and joyful Christmas time with your family and loved ones. Thanks for your participation throughout the year.

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Scripture Reference: Proverbs 10:8

A wise person will be quick to listen and slow to speak. His ears and heart are open to sound advice. He has no issue listening to commands that will benefit him in the long run. Pride does not keep him from listening.

Wisdom and pride don’t dwell together for a person who is proud would reason he knows enough and doesn’t need to be instructed. He stagnates and never increases in knowledge. A wise person is fully aware that he does not know everything and welcomes advice. He does not have a superior view of his own opinions. He doesn’t live by, “My way or the highway…” The wise person realizes that there is still much he has to learn.

But a chattering fool comes to ruin

On the other hand, the fool is quick to speak and slow to listen. He loves the sound of his own voice. Have you ever met someone like that? They like to talk on and on about themselves. They may even tell you about all their troubles, but not because they seek your advice, they just need a sounding board. It’s all about them.

Since such a person considers his own opinions superior to that of others, he brings himself to ruin as he never heeds any warnings. What can anyone tell him? He knows it all! He knows it all about life and about God. He is therefore responsible for his own ruin.

The Bible teaches us not to correct a mocker because we will only receive insults in return for our good intentions. Apart from the fact that the fool doesn’t listen to others, he will often hit back with insults and mockery when someone attempts to point out the error of his ways.

This proverb is a good measuring tool for ourselves. Do we retaliate with insults when someone points out our mistakes in a kindhearted manner? Or are we open to receive constructive criticism. If we are open to correction we have become wise in heart. May pride never keep us from increasing in the wisdom of God.

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