I’ve been enjoying the Psalms since January 1st but need an attitude adjustment. How do I compete with someone about whom God says the following: I Sam 13:14, (Samuel speaking to King Saul), “But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commended you”. Sounds to me like Saul had been disobedient. Acts 13:22 reads, “And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will”. Sounds to me like obedience. What makes David so special? His stats are; of the tribe of Judah, Ruth and Boaz’ great grandson, youngest of seven brothers, called the ‘annointed’ one, from Bethlehem, a shepherd and musician, and then a great warrior and giant slayer (hardly related to musician), lived about 1000 BC (for perspective), the greatest King of Israel ever. David is described as ruddy and beautiful, an author who wrote around half the psalms, he had ~8 wives, sinned with Bathsheba, and plotted murder. We have nothing in common. I cannot claim a single similarity other than that we have God in common. David demonstrated faith in representing his nation against Goliath. He trusted God with protection when Saul was in pursuit. He loved Saul with an agape love against all reason. He was humble and in, I Sam 18:23, called himself, “A poor and lightly esteemed man”. David showed integrity when he admitted his mistakes. He is forgiving by sparing Saul’s life and welcoming Mephibosheth into his home. David is the most famous worshipper of all time. Again, what do I have in common with David other than God? I have taken on an acronym since retiring. I was supposed to take the name of my Father, Robert, as were my sisters. There was no boy. He went by Bob and I look at my future as BOB. B is for a burden for the lost. O is for obedience, and the last B is for brave. I must be brave to get out of my chair, like David did, and show up where God leads. In that way I can be like David but that is never the goal. The goal is to be like Jesus.
