Tag: David

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Does God hear me?

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Hear my prayer, O Lord! Listen to my cries for help! Don’t ignore my tears. For I am your guest— a traveler passing through, as my ancestors were before me. Leave me alone so I can smile again before I am gone and exist no more.” Psalms‬ ‭39‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

David, in writing many of the Psalms, never held back what he thinks, and how he feels about his life, his sin and his relationship with God. This Psalm gets super introspective, almost metaphysical, sounding much like the words of his son, Solomon, writing Ecclesiastes. Stuff like, ”We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it” (39‬:‭6‬).

David wrote this when he was younger, going through extremely difficult times while running for his life, even though God had promised that he would be the future king. In those early years he grew close to God while hiding in caves and living by faith alone. While he was processing thoughts about his own life, he gets pensive and moody.

Yet, in this Psalm, David concludes by begging God to listen and see his pain. This Psalm helps us as well. Does God hear us, does He see our pain, our tears? The answer is YES! God does hear and see us. As you read through the Psalms, it becomes clear that David discovered this many times over. Even though this Psalm was inserted towards the end of David’s life, the experiences happened at very low times early in his life. And, thankfully, God does not “leave him alone,” He continues to show up in David’s life just as God shows up in our life. I am thankful that God hears and listens to our cries. He sees us and is working on our behalf.

Prayer

​Dad,
I am so thankful for David’s honest expressions and that you let us see those experiences in Psalms. The raw, authentic words David writes is helpful when I go through difficult times as well. I am grateful that you hear me and see me, drawing close when I am afraid and bringing peace and comfort when my mind whirls and my heart wavers.

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What’s in your soul?

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Arise, O Lord! Stand against them, and bring them to their knees! Rescue me from the wicked with your sword! By the power of your hand, O Lord, destroy those who look to this world for their reward. But satisfy the hunger of your treasured ones. May their children have plenty, leaving an inheritance for their descendants. Because I am righteous, I will see you. When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied.” Psalms‬ ‭17‬:‭13‬-‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

David often writes about the theme of justice. Justice is one of those common ideals that everyone wants but can’t agree on how to deliver it. The other theme is the wicked. For the atheist/agnostic, the question of evil becomes difficult to explain its source. Of course there’s the nurture vs nature arguments, but if it truly comes from genetics – where or how did it begin. Truth: there are wicked people who do evil just because they can, there’s a desire to do so. Why? God declares that wickedness or evil resides in the human heart and its beginnings stem from disobedience, desires and flat-out rebellion. So, in reality, it is “nature,” at least genetically so. But, it’s in all of us! Every single human is quite capable of doing evil for no other reason than the deep disordered desires to be wicked and do horrible things. Our culture has lost its bearings on what defines wickedness, but any honest human has to admit it exists.

This Psalm, likely written by David, addressed an especially wicked act, ordered by King Saul and carried out by his henchman- Doeg. The scene is out of 1 Samuel 22, where Doeg went to Nob and slaughtered the entire town in cruel cold blood! Vs 19 -“Then he went to Nob, the town of the priests, and killed the priests’ families—men and women, children and babies—and all the cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats.” Why? because Saul found out that Ahimelek had fed David and his men.

Interesting that in David’s description and summation of wickedness, he wrote, “destroy those who look to this world for their reward.” What rewards come from wickedness? I think it’s the self determination of being a god and refusing to yield or obey the one true God. This self determination goes to our head, corrupting and hardening our heart. On the other spectrum is being satisfied, satiated and content for those who hunger and thirst for righteousness – Godly pursuits with Godly rewards. David’s final remark about his own righteousness seems to be the results of obedience to God. When he awakes… in other words, after he dies what happens to him? David knows, he will wake to see God face to face! What happens when you die? Many foolishly believe that since they come from nothing, they return to nothing – annihilation. They just cease to exist. That’s their hope? It certainly is evident that if one believes in nothing, and nothing matters, and their end is nothing as well – doesn’t it make sense that there is no reason to do right, or be right? If annihilation is their end, why not live life any way one pleases? According God, that’s a massive mistake. Hebrews writes, “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” Whose face will you see after you die? What’s in your soul?

Prayer

​Dad,
I’m with David on this subject of wickedness, justice and righteousness! I do not think my life would have gone well without your intervention. I may have tried to live right or do right, but would not have been able to follow through with it. Eventually I would have given up and just tried to do whatever satisfied me at that time. Basically do whatever I wanted to do! You not only saved me from becoming a horrible version of myself, you gave me so much more to live life to the fullest. Thank you. After I die and then I wake, I too will see your face and be glad!

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Dangers of counting sheep.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

”God was very displeased with the census, and he punished Israel for it. Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please forgive my guilt for doing this foolish thing.” Then the Lord spoke to Gad, David’s seer. This was the message: “Go and say to David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will give you three choices. Choose one of these punishments, and I will inflict it on you.” ‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭21‬:‭7‬-‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

David wasn’t counting sheep to try to sleep! David wanted to headcount of his people because of his own disordered desires. Counting constituents meant more glory and taxes for his treasury,

We don’t know who wrote the books of Chronicles, but the author wanted us to know this fact: Satan was behind the count! “Satan rose up against Israel and caused David to take a census of the people of Israel” (21‬:‭1‬). That’s enough to know why this was such an egregious act towards God. Even Joab, David’s hitman, knew this was wrong, “why must you cause Israel to sin? (21‬:‭3‬).” I notice that leader’s choices have consequences on the followers!

God punished Israel. We don’t know what this first round of punishments were, but it Got David’s attention. Of course Satan probably laughed because he got a human to do his bidding! David repent, but wasn’t let off the hook by any means. Forgiveness doesn’t mean there aren’t consequences. God gave David a choice of punishment, and each choice was very harsh: famine, enemies, or a severe plague (21‬:‭12‬).

We don’t know if David did some quick math, thinking:
How many people would die from a 3 year famine?
How many people would die in a 3 month war?
And, How many people would die from a plague?

Here David wanted to count how many people called him King and how much taxes that would bring into his treasury. But now he’s forced to calculate how many people would lose their life because of his thirst for power and money!

David decided that God in his mercy and a possible plague would be less than the famine or sword. Immediately God sent a plague and 70,000 people died. But God wasn’t done. God also sent a powerful avenging or death angel to ravaged Jerusalem. The angel stood ready to act on God’s divine will when suddenly God said, “stop! That’s enough,” The angel paused but stood ready with sword drawn reaching out over Jerusalem. David saw this angel, “standing between heaven and earth.” In that moment David and the leaders of Israel put on burlap to show their deep distress and fell face down on the ground (21‬:‭15‬-‭16‬). The angel stayed, ready and sword drawn all the way until David paid for the place to offer a sacrifice to the Lord and prayed his guts out! Then, finally, “the Lord spoke to the angel, who put the sword back into its sheath‬ ‭(21‬:‭27‬).

Lessons for today:

  1. Stop listening to Satan’s lies designed specifically promising to fulfill our deepest, yet disordered desires.
  2. When one of our team leads says. “what are you doing… this is wrong!” lay down our pride and listen.
  3. Seriously and soberly think about our decisions that affect the people we are called to lead. Our sin may mean severe consequences for others.
  4. Offer sincere repentance. What would be an acceptable and appropriate gift to God, that would cost us, to make things right? And
  5. Stick to counting sheep for sleep, not for making ourselves feel important.

Prayer

Dad,
I see the gifts and grievances in David’s life and realize the highs were certainly high, but the lows were so devastating and destructive. Yet, somehow in all of that you both caught and punished David because you love him, but also he was willing to eventually admit his failures, sin, and he repented. David’s triumphs are celebrated but also his sins are on full display so we can learn. We can see the dangers, not just of sin, but specifically power and wealth as well. Thank you for your mercy and grace to me even in my own failures and sin.

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The root survives.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot— yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. He will delight in obeying the Lord. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay. He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. The earth will shake at the force of his word, and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked. He will wear righteousness like a belt and truth like an undergarment.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In the language of ancient agricultural days, everyone would know what the “root” represents. In more modern concepts, we might think of it as kind of a sourdough “levain,” or “starter.” Of course using leaven or yeast is probably not the best object lesson because yeast was often compared to sin in the Bible. You can see how this mysterious mold is alive and incredibly enduring, but no one knows why.

The root survival object lesson is much more aligned with spiritual endurance. Plants or tree roots can be dormant for years and even appear to be dead. If you’ve ever cut down a tree in your yard, but did not pull up the roots, you know how durable the tree can be. The root was a common illustration used to describe the nation of Israel, the people of God.

The once flourishing, life- giving tree would be burned or cut down, but underneath there would be this enduring root. In Biblical writings this type of durable root was called the “root of Jesse.” Jesse, being King David’s father, the patriarch that began the kingly lineage so long ago. The unique and amazing thing about the particular family lineage, this “root” survival is that it would endure until its spectacular reemergence as the tree of life, otherwise known as the Messiah – Jesus.

The root illustration always gave the people of God hope, that although things looked awful, dead in fact, they knew that one day a young, healthy, green shoot of life would come out of this root, this promise of God. The reality is this root would not just survive, it would wait until the proper time to burst into new life, thriving, giving shade and bearing fruit for all of humankind!

This is yet another ancient illustration that gives hope still today. Even cooler than that, this glorious tree of life, personified by the Son of God means that we as non-Jews, heathens – Gentiles can be grafted into this tree! This would become our own heritage, our adoption, our salvation! The Apostle Paul extensively writes about this powerful miracle that God planned before the world began in Romans 11. So whether the tree is trimmed, burned or destroyed, the root of our faith – Jesus, yet endures!

Prayer

​Dad,
As I have discovered in the later days of life, your stories are VERY long. To think about the eternal story-arch of the Bible is amazing, yet hard to grasp. This idea of our human effort and cyclical failure, even after Jesus’ work on the cross is both expected and disappointing. We are broken, and healed… but not yet fully so. It does make me ache for finality, fulfillment and truly an end to my ​constant disorder desires and failures. Come quickly Lord Jesus! Amen.

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Earnest eagerness of our youth.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Solomon was about twenty years old when he became King of Israel. He followed his father, David, in a stable and flourishing kingdom. Solomon admits he has no idea just how ginormous his kingdom was, but it is estimated at 800 thousand to possibly a million people. Later, it was noted in 1 Kings 4:20, “There were so many people living in Judah and Israel while Solomon was king that they seemed like grains of sand on a beach. Everyone had enough to eat and drink, and they were happy.”

Being young and given the responsibility of ruling over such a vast amount of people humbled Solomon. One of the things Solomon decided to do came right out of David’s playbook – massive and public sacrifices to God in one of the most popular of tabernacles – at Gideon. A thousand sacrifices, in ancient days, were seen as a “King’s” sacrifice, acknowledging his submission to deity – this was an expensive, seven-day example of honoring Solomon’s one true God. He also made those sacrifices, in Gideon, where it had been known for sacrificing to Idols – one of the many “high places.” In one massive demonstration of humility and repentance Solomon showed the people where his heart and financial motives were coming from.

This decision pleased God, which is why it prompted God to ask Solomon what he wanted. “That night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you! ‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬.” As a young man, a young leader of a large, thriving kingdom, filled with God’s people, he wanted to do what was right above all else. Yet, even with the gift of wisdom from God, Solomon was not able to hold fast to righteousness and to continue to lead the nation in godly ways!

I remember being full of great ideas, technological advancements and more efficient systems to get things done. But I was serving in a culture that was resistant to change! As I have gotten older, I still feel the positive pressure of the future coming towards us faster than ever. However, my lesson, my observation from scripture, especially from the lives of David and his son, Solomon is this; to grow consistently in my spiritual maturity. Systems, cool ideas and flashy programs will not make it to eternity. People are worth investing in, so I want to work to stay humble. I choose to serve others well, praise and promote those around me and give all glory to God. I want to be able to give my own thousand sacrifices well into my elder years.

Prayer

Dad,
It’s not about finishing first, it’s about lasting to the end. It’s a race to the bottom, the end of the line, to see others cross before me. The crown that awaits us is those who have turned their hearts towards you and join with me in heaven praising you! Amen.

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David’s moral wishlist.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

I will sing of your love and justice, Lord. I will praise you with songs. I will be careful to live a blameless life— when will you come to help me? I will lead a life of integrity in my own home. I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar. I hate all who deal crookedly; I will have nothing to do with them. I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil. I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors. I will not endure conceit and pride. ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭101‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It is believed that Psalm 101 was inserted toward the end of David’s life, but it’s obvious that he wrote it when he was young, likely before becoming king. I like what one commentator used as the word that described David’s intentions to rule his country well, DETERMINATION.

David was determined to do right. David was anointed king three times. Samuel anointed David in his youth, (1 Samuel 16:13). After Saul’s death he was anointed king over the tribe of Judah at Hebron (2 Samuel 2:4). Seven years later he was anointed king over all the tribes of Israel (2 Samuel 5:3). But as life unfolded in David’s life, he lost sight of his original passion for God and justice. What was it that cooled or shifted his focus of being this righteous standard he had set for himself. David had a front row seat to observe what power, authority and wealth had done to his predecessor. He watched Saul’s spiritual life unravel right in front of him, throwing a spear at David because of the king’s spiritual torment. Is seeing a bad example of leadership helpful to guide one’s own idea of a good leader? I think it is. Yet, it is clearly not enough to be different. A great leader has to grow beyond just doing better than the person before them.

David’s own words in this Psalm must have haunted him as he looked back, he wrote, “I refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar!” Or, “I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil.” These are evidence of a young man’s battle to control his own thoughts, disorder desires and overcome temptations that come his way. Job declared that he had made a covenant with his own eyes, “not to look with lust at a young woman,” (Job 31:1). When David was coming into his years of being a king at 30 years old, his intention, his determination was to NOT put up with conceit or pride. As it turned out, David’s moral wishlist ended up becoming his downfall. What he hated at thirty, he succumbed to at fifty. What do you think caused such a shift from passion to do right to passion to do whatever he wanted? Twenty years of battle victories led to kingdom wide peace and wealth. David no longer needed to go to lead his army against his enemies. He was too valuable, too important, too busy? In the spring when kings go off to war, David stayed home, (2 Samuel 11:1). Everything had been conquered in David’s life, except the desires within his own soul!

I get why this Psalm was inserted into the songs of praise at the end of David’s life, it is a reminder to guard our hearts and stoke the righteous passions of our youth even when we’ve made it, especially if we’ve won.

Prayer

Dad,
There are so many lessons to be learned from great men and women in the Bible. The heroic stories, the rags to riches stories, the famous “such a time as this” stories, all of them are so inspiring. Yet, David’s extraordinary life is one example of how quickly things can turn when I lose sight of the most important thing, the number one priority relationship in my life – you! I had wild and crazy expectations of changing my world and Your Church when I was young. Now, I just want to fulfill my calling and tend to my most precious relationships. I need your grace and mercy to finish strong and end well.

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Paralleling the Psalms.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

You welcomed him back with success and prosperity. You placed a crown of finest gold on his head. He asked you to preserve his life, and you granted his request. The days of his life stretch on forever. Your victory brings him great honor, and you have clothed him with splendor and majesty. You have endowed him with eternal blessings and given him the joy of your presence. For the king trusts in the Lord. The unfailing love of the Most High will keep him from stumbling. Psalms‬ ‭21‬:‭3‬-‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When one reads the about the life of Israel’s ancient king David, then reads through the psalms, you’ll find an uncanny parallel between the words of David and the prayers and quotes of Christ! Jesus not only quoted frequently from the law and the prophets, he exclusively spoke from the psalms. But not just any of the psalms – specifically, the psalms of David.

Jesus had most of the books of the law memorized and it was obvious that he had amazing recall of the psalms. Jesus quotes the Old Testament so often, it seems as if he is just teaching and speaking his own thoughts and words. When I read the agonizing, painful reality prayers of David, I find that Jesus used these to express his own thoughts and understanding of God the Father, and himself as the messiah. Peter Johnson says, “the psalms helped Jesus to carry through with His redemption purpose. Psalms are believed to express deep emotions and full surrender to God.”

When I read this psalm and see David realize that his past days of running and hiding from Saul are gone. David looks forward to his life, now filled with abundance and blessing. Can you see the overlay of this wonderful sense of hope in Jesus’ own life as well. In complete faith that God will help him and see him through death and the hope of redemption and resurrection, Jesus himself can hang on to these ancient words penned by David himself. “You placed a crown of finest gold on his head!”

Can you see these heavenly exchanges; removing the crown of thorns, the mocking crown of shame and suffering and replacing it with a crown of gold, of victory and freedom. When we read of David’s days in life – stretching on forever, can you see the parallel of David’s past, running for his life, living in caves, but now his days are free and full – seemingly with no end! Jesus was buried in a cave, his life from our temporary understanding was over, but his resurrection brought everlasting life! David, in his past, wore tattered, borrowed clothes while dodging death, but as king he was clothed with splendor and majesty. A dynamic picture of rags to riches, funeral shrouds to kingly robes! Jesus lived this same version of David’s life and most likely quoted and prayed these psalms to fortify his own faith in God’s plan, his own mission. Jesus’ life paralleled the psalms!

We are not David nor Jesus, but wouldn’t you think these psalms – memorized, meditated on, and PRAYED would give us hope as well? God saw us through our darkest times, maybe for some literally running for our life. God was there in the darkness of caves and doubts. Our hope is that God is also with us now, giving us eternal blessings and the joy of his own presence! Why? Because God truly loves us and proved it through Jesus’ own life, death and resurrection. We too can pray the psalms! We too can parallel and track with the lows only to come out with the highs of unfailingly love of the Most High!

Prayer

​Dad,
No wonder Jesus was such a fan of the psalms! He lived them. No wonder Jesus’ hope and faith was encouraged by memorizing the psalms, he used them when praying for strength while he was earthbound. Thank you for Your word. It is a lamp, a light and the hope of my salvation! Amen.

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Experience and the examined soul.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Then all the tribes of Israel went to David at Hebron and told him, “We are your own flesh and blood. In the past, when Saul was our king, you were the one who really led the forces of Israel. And the Lord told you, ‘You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be Israel’s leader.’” So there at Hebron, King David made a covenant before the Lord with all the elders of Israel. And they anointed him king of Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in all. He had reigned over Judah from Hebron for seven years and six months, and from Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years. ‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Coming into power and authority too quickly can be detrimental to a leader and those who follow. David spent much of his young life learning how to care for and protect the family sheep. When the sheep went out to pasture, there were weeks that David would be on his own. He learned most of his vital lessons being a shepherd, a veterinarian, a musician and a warrior. David was also skilled in writing poems and songs while living under God’s big sky with miles of country hills.

The prophet Samuel had secretly anointed David as the future king while he was just a teenager. And David got his first big break when word got out that he was an excellent guitar player, well more like a harpist, ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭16‬:‭18‬. His faith and somewhat exaggerated confidence landed him a confrontation with a Gathean mercenary conscripted by the Philistines – the giant, Goliath! So at the age of about 15 years old he became super famous. It didn’t hurt that Saul had offered his daughter’s hand in marriage and the family’s tax free life to the person who defeated the Philistine champion ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭17‬:‭25‬. David even led several successful campaigns on behalf of Saul and became the commander of Saul’s armies.

However, because God had abandoned Saul and he was loosing his grip on reality, things turned ugly on young David, now about 20 years old. For anywhere from 8-10 years, David spent his life on the run. From being a legend to becoming an outlaw, was a struggle for David. He used those times growing closer to God, and writing about his darkest moments in the Psalms. By the time he finally became king over Israel, David had all the highs and lows of notoriety, infamy, and contempt. But as he was hiding and dodging Saul all those years, God was further developing David’s character.

As you are well aware, by the time David was about 50-55 years old he got Bathsheba (22-25 yrs old) pregnant and had her husband murdered and in battle. What happened to all that character development? When things got easy, did David get soft and morally weak. One clue is in Samuel, where he writes, “In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites.” Being that David’s warrior years and his thirst for conquest and victory had subsided. It turned into wandering around on the roof of the palace after taking a midday NAP! This midlife-misstep cost him the kingdom, his own family and his reputation of being the man after God’s own heart. God wouldn’t even let him build the temple (which God didn’t want nor need by the way) because David’s hands were just too bloody.

What an extraordinary life though. So many lessons in life and leadership. So many deep concepts about God and so much self awareness to be gleaned from the writings about David. What can we learn from all of it? Certainly there is a lot of leadership lessons to be learned in different seasons of one’s own life.

Prayer

​Dad,
There is SO MUCH to learn from David’s life! I read these stories when I was young and it was fascinating and conflicting. Now that I am old, it is very different. From the angst of youth and proving oneself, to the wisdom and nurturing of a solid legacy to leave for children and grandchildren. Finishing well is just about all I think about these days. It’s not about me, it’s about the lives that you have placed in my care, in my capacity to lead. This is what becomes valuable in this season. Experience? Yes, but definitely with an examined soul! Amen.

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A friend in deed to a friend in need.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

One day near Horesh, David received the news that Saul was on the way to Ziph to search for him and kill him. Jonathan went to find David and encouraged him to stay strong in his faith in God. “Don’t be afraid,” Jonathan reassured him. “My father will never find you! You are going to be the king of Israel, and I will be next to you, as my father, Saul, is well aware.” So the two of them renewed their solemn pact before the Lord. Then Jonathan returned home, while David stayed at Horesh. ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭23‬:‭15‬-‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The friendship between Jonathon and David is a legendary picture of camaraderie and commitment. The problem is most folks (myself included) visualized the two as equal in age. They were not. Jonathon was at least twenty years older than David. I know we read the stories and see two young twenty-somethings hanging out in the palace, dodging dear old king Saul as he went through his mental collapse. But do the math, Jonathan was in his forties!

Two things about these “hide-n-seek” scenarios with David that are amazing. One, God spoke directly to David when he needed an answer! Up a few verses David asks God if he should go and help a neighboring city fend off the Philistines. “Should I go?,” David asks. “Yes, you should go,” says God. Another time David asked God, “I heard Saul is coming obliterate Keilah because of me, and the leaders of Keilah will betray me – is that true?” God says “Yes they will betray you and yes Saul is coming.” Can you imagine this? David is running for his life and it’s looking like everything is out of control, yet God is right there with him! Would I want to walk through the crazy circumstances that David did, having the highest level of authority chasing me with a bounty on my head? No! But, wouldn’t it be wild to be on the run while having a two way conversation with the God of all things? Heavens yeah!

Two, the other aspect I love about these true stories is the fact that Saul’s own son, is besties with David, giving him the inside-man advantage. Between God telling David exactly what will happen and Jonathan providing Saul’s movements – it’s an exciting real life drama of good verses evil. Jonathan knows exactly where David is hiding out and goes to him to simply encourage him. Jonathan says, “don’t be afraid,” and “you will be king.”

There are so many stories and scriptures about the importance of having trusted friends encourage us when we walk through valleys with shadows of death. The Apostle Paul writes to the churches in Galatia (6:2), “share each other’s burdens…because in doing so you fulfill the law of Christ.” Ecclesiastes 4:12 says “a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” A single-strand life is a constant struggle! Carrying a heavy load alone will kill you, but shared with a friend makes it lighter. We don’t need friends to fix things for us, we just need them to show up and bear the burden with us.

Be that friend that shows up! Be that friend that randomly texts encouragement when you know someone is struggling. Be the voicemail that leaves a prayer and a good word. You will be the friend that joins God and comes alongside in someone’s darkest, loneliest moments.

Prayer

Dad,
I truly believe the verse that says that there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother – and that friend is you! Through the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit, you are always there. You see, you hear, you know, what my life can bear. But, I also know what it’s like to have friends check in and let me know they are standing with me, available for whatever I might need. These friends are load-lifters and I am deeply grateful when they join in to carry the weight of emotions too much for me to handle alone. Thank you for them as well. Amen.

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With handsome heart.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel‬ ‭16‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Samuel, being God’s king-maker, heads out on a secret mission to find the next king of Israel – while Saul is still the sitting king! Saul’s own story of coming from obscurity to opulence and the highest position in the land is outrageously funny and sad, like a dark comedy. Saul was tall and very handsome, he LOOKED like a king in making, until he opened his mouth. Now Samuel is once again on a search, this time for a successor.

He arrives in Bethlehem under the ruse of sacrificing to God. A plan God gave Samuel as a coverup. Sneaky God! The little town of Bethlehem leaders were nervous when God’s spokesperson shows up. What’s wrong? The elders ask. Nothing, Samuel smoothly replies. Can’t a prophet come to a tiny, insignificant town, with a heifer in tow just to randomly sacrifice to the Lord? Geez…suspicious much? Of course it’s not normal, but look over here at this amazing feast.

Jesse brings his family to the sacrifice party, as instructed. As Jesse’s boys file in, Samuel immediately takes one look at the eldest son and says, “bingo,” that’s the one. Eliab was a looker! Job done, right? Nope. God says to Samuel a comment that’s been used thousands of times over the eons – “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭16‬:‭7‬ People judge by looks, but God judges by the heart. Eliab may be pretty, but his heart is lacking.

Jesse brings up all seven of his sons – I’m sure they were all handsome men! But, none of them are who God was looking for. Samuel is puzzled. “Is this all your sons?” he asks. Jesse then remembers he’s got an eighth son. The eighth boy is so young and seemingly insignificant that it never even crosses Jesse’s mind to invite him to a “family” sacrifice party; not common today for the “baby” of the family. Jesse tells Samuel, “oh yeah, there’s one more, but he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.” Samuel tells Jesse, “send for him, we’ll wait to eat until he gets here.” I am sure the entire family were beside themselves trying to figure out what Samuel is really there for and what he is really looking for. Young David was probably about 12 years old, if not younger!

David arrives from the fields and it is Samuel who comments on HIS looks! “He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes.” Fact is, Jesse and his wife, Nitzevet, made eight hunky, handsome dudes! And the Lord said, “This is the one; anoint him.” So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on.” It would take 18 years before David actually became king of Israel. David’s handsome looks got him in a ton of trouble while serving as king, but it was eventually his handsome heart that God saw in him all along. Oddly enough David had good looking sons as well – Absalom was VERY handsome (2 Samuel 14:25) and so was Solomon! Which would you choose, handsome looks or a handsome heart?

Prayer

Dad,
I can understand how you look at the heart more than you look at our appearances, but people DO look at appearances. And, there are good looking people across all ethnicities and cultures. It cannot be that beauty is only in the eye of the beholder, as Shakespeare wrote. It can’t be that all judgement of beauty is subjective. Sure with art forms and perceptions it may be true, but with such views as faces and stature, it seems that these features have always been honored. I have personally met folks with a beautiful soul as well. And sometimes it’s as though their innate persona gave off a particular glow of beauty about them. It seemed as though I was smitten by their inner grace, mercy and humility. Beauty from what is not seen and beauty from what is seen. What a mystery! I am thankful that we are all image bearers of Yours! Amen.