Searching for a KingSample

Even kings make mistakes. 

It’s easy for us to look at David as being better than us, more holy than us, like the apostle Paul.  Here was a man, hand picked by God to lead His people.  He’s called a man after God’s own heart.  Yet we often don’t look deeply into why David was held so highly by God or how we can be considered people after God’s heart today.  

Is it possible for us to have the same attitude about God as David did?  Yes, absolutely.  David revered God, David was a friend of God’s and he went to God with his needs, wants, celebrations and anxieties.  We read about David’s conversations with God in the book of Psalm.  David’s heart and mind was focused on God and during his reign we see (in most cases) that he led the people with God at the forefront of his mind.  

Today, we can be like David by doing the same things.  Putting God first in our thoughts, going to God first with our problems and accomplishments.  It sounds easy, but how many of us actually do it on a daily basis?  We quickly rely on ourselves and forget that the creator of the universe is ready to have a conversation with us.  He’s ready to listen to what’s bothering us and ready give us a shoulder to cry on when we’re in deep distress. 

Even though we look at David as being “better than us” the reality is, David was human and he messed up.  David’s sin with Bathsheba and subsequent murder of Uriah was heinous.  The way he mismanaged his family was inexcusable.  We see some of David’s deepest grief and regret throughout the book of Psalm.  Psalm 3:7 shows us a broken man crying out to the LORD to save him!  Psalm 22 opens with the infamous words of David “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”.  Do these sound like the words of a perfect man?  Do these sound like the words of someone who had it all together all the time?  I sure don’t think so.  

What makes David different than so many is where he turns in these times of distress…he turn to God.  We see his response to sin in his life as being one of extreme remorse and repentance.  Compare that with the prior king.  Saul often times pointed the finger of blame at someone else (including God’s prophet, Samuel) and refused to take responsibility for his actions.  

Don’t be a Saul, a man so proud that he felt he was untouchable.  Be a David, be a man after God’s own heart.