May 6, 2020

Good morning Friends and Family,

King David was, without a doubt, a faithful man. Men were willing to follow him even before he was king, and even when he was on the run and had to hide in the desert. God referred to him as “a man after my own heart”, which is some of the highest praise anyone gets in the Bible. Let’s take a look at David’s life to see what we can learn.

So, he asked Jesse, are these all the sons you have? There is still the youngest, Jesse answered, but he is tending the sheep. Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives. So, he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, Rise and anoint him; he is the one. 1 Samuel 16:11-12 (NIV)

To be a faithful believer requires patience.

David was anointed as Israel’s king when he was a boy, probably in his early teens. But he was 30 before becoming king of Judah (which was just part of Israel) and 37 before he was named king of all Israel, as promised. At least twice, David had a clear opportunity to kill Saul, taking the throne, and considering the circumstances it could have been considered self-defense. But David didn’t. He knew that God was in control and trusted Him enough to wait on His timing. These life experiences led him to write,

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14

Now Jesse said to his son David, Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance from them. 1 Samuel 17:17-18 (NIV)

To be a person of faith requires humility.

So, you’re a lowly shepherd boy, and you’re chosen as king by the guy who’s in charge of such things. What do you do? If you’re David, you go back to taking care of sheep. When David does get called up to the palace, instead of demanding the throne, he works as a servant. He performs music for the king whenever Saul demands it, like a human iPod. When his dad asks the anointed king to serve snacks to his older brothers, he serves snacks to his older brothers. David was humble. He knew that, even as king, he was still just a servant of the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Again, David’s experiences led him to pen these words,

Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 2 Samuel 7:18 (NIV)

David is an example for us here. He offered the Lord what the Lord longs to find, a humble heart, a loving heart totally given to Him. David placing all its trust in God. All believers can look towards the example of this king who, with all his weaknesses, was a passionate, humble, patient man. A man of prayer, a man who knew what it meant to seek God in difficult situations and to praise Him as he went through these same situations.

The Lord be with your spirit and may God’s grace be with you,

Pastor Dennis