In this week’s readings, David goes from a conquering hero to a man on the run. Saul is jealous of his success, and of his apparent future as king of Israel, and determines to kill him. We get a lot of insight into the character of David, and his relationship with God, along the way, not only from the narratives of his adventures, but from the psalms he writes as well. Here are a few, in no particular order:
- He trusts in God – one story that exemplifies this is when David has a chance to kill Saul, end his running, and fulfill God’s promise that he will get the throne, all in one fell swoop. Instead, he decides to spare Saul’s life, knowing that this is not God’s timing. This really struck home to me, though I’ve certainly heard the story before. David was quite confident in the knowledge of God’s timing, and willing to wait for it patiently.
- Leader – it seems like, everywhere David goes, he is considered a leader. Even in banishment, he manages to attract essentially a whole army. The guy was magnetic.
- Honest – the psalms I read this week really drove this home. David had no trouble telling God how he saw it, both good and bad. I think sometimes I think that I need to put on my best face for God. Like, I can’t tell God what He already knows. I can learn a lot from David in this regard
- God meets him where he’s at – I love how David walks into a town of priests, and asks for a weapon and some food…and gets it. Except, it’s not just a weapon and food, but sacred bread and a sword which was probably on display or something. Talk about God’s provision!
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