Daily Bible – No. 14

April 2 – April 8, 2017

David.

Few names in Scripture elicit more mental imagery than David. Jesus, certainly. Moses, most likely. But whom else?

David and Goliath. The city of David. David, the warrior king. David, the Psalmist. David, the devoted friend. David and Bathsheba. David, the man after God’s own heart:

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him [Eliab, brother of David]. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'”

1 Samuel 16:6-7 (NIV)

David endured soaring peaks and the lowest valleys of life, but throughout triumph and despair, we see a very special man.

He was the man whose faith was unshakeable: “In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise – in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can a man do to me? (Psalm 56, NIV).”

He was the man who trusted in God at every turn: “I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy. I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble (Psalm 142, NIV).”

He was the man who was capable of loving the man who sought persistently to kill him.

He was the man whose gratitude to the Lord was ever present.

And yet, as we will see, he was the man whose weakness was great…and costly.

Although David knew no hesitation in taking the lives of the enemies of Israel, he would not lift a hand against the man who tried desperately to kill him out of pure jealousy. He considered Saul, the man chosen by God as king over Israel, to be untouchable as God’s anointed.

He led bold and courageous warriors into battle, but understood the real source of victory:

David replied, “No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the Lord has given us. He has protected us and handed over to us the forces that came against us. Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.”

1 Samuel 30:23-25 (NIV)

Can we duplicate the faithfulness of David? Can we comprehend the real source of victory?

“After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’”

Acts 13:22 (NIV)

Most importantly, can we be a man/woman after God’s own heart?