Read the introduction to this series on the character of David.
The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
Psalm 23:1-3 (NLT)
David is such an interesting person in the Bible, right? Reading about his life we see him trusting in God as a young shepherd, a brave warrior, a humble king, and finally a dying man. The psalms that he wrote give us an even deeper look into his heart — “But You, O Lord, are a shield for me,
My glory and the One who lifts up my head” (Psalm 3:3). David made bad choices, but we will talk about those later.
Today, let’s focus on the good that was in David’s life. Looking at the life of David, we can see what walking in step with God can look like. In the following ways, David can be an example to us: he was anointed by God, he relied on God for strength, he prayed for guidance, and he followed his conscience.
DAVID WAS CHOSEN BY GOD
You can read the story of Samuel anointing David as the future king in I Samuel 16:1-13. David was chosen by God, destined for His purpose. Can you imagine the looks on the brothers’ faces when the youngest among them is chosen by God to become king over Israel? Their father, Jesse, thought so little of David that he didn’t even bring him out from tending the sheep to be a part of the sacrifice and ceremony Samuel was performing while searching for the one chosen by God. David went from being the last one picked for the team straight to the team captain!
And after David was anointed with the oil by Samuel, then “the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward” (I Samuel 16:13). David has been chosen by God to fulfill His will. David now has a purpose that does not include being last in a long line of brothers, left out while taking care of sheep.
We read something similar when Jesus is baptized: “He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him” (Matthew 3:16).
And when a person today is baptized — “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:38-39).
Just as Jesus is the “anointed one,” David also was anointed by God. And Christians are God’s anointed people still. We are His chosen, called to do good works that glorify and honor Him.
DAVID RELIED ON GOD FOR STRENGTH
I Samuel 17 tells us the story of Goliath, a huge Philistine who is daring any Israelite man to come fight him. He does this for 40 days before David shows up.
David is appalled that God’s people are cowering in fear. He knows what it is like to rely on God during battles with beasts — “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (I Samuel 17:37). And this beast, Goliath, is no different to him.
David defeating Goliath is not the great story here; the headline is in David’s great faith that God would deliver him. David knew God had helped him before, and he knew God would help him again.
A woman after God’s own heart is courageous, because she knows the Lord is fighting alongside her.
“Miraculous as our eyes are, faith reminds us that there is much more to this world than just what we can see”
—Casandra Martin, Echoing His Heartbeat, The Life of David
DAVID PRAYED FOR GUIDANCE
Part of being in tune with the heartbeat of God is knowing which battles are ours to fight and which ones are not deserving of our time. In I Samuel 23, we read of David consulting God before making decisions. In verse two, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” and then he asks again in verse four. After receiving confirmation, he and his men go to fight.
Later, David learns that Saul knows where he is and is trying to kill him. And again he prays: “Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O Lord God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant” (verse 11). The Lord answers that the people of Keilah will hand David over to Saul, so David and his men escape.
DAVID FOLLOWED HIS CONSCIENCE
When all of God’s warriors are paralyzed in fear, it’s time to defeat the offender (Goliath). But when a king, chosen by God, is alone in a cave, maybe he doesn’t deserve to be ruthlessly attacked. Of course, Saul was trying to kill David, so no one would say David had done anything wrong if he killed Saul in the cave in I Samuel 24.
David’s men encourage him, saying this is the day! The Lord has brought your enemy right here! David cuts off a piece of Saul’s robe and then…his “heart troubled him.” David felt that this was not the way one of God’s chosen king’s should die. “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord” (2 Samuel 24:6).
Even though God had anointed David as the next king, David did not feel it was in his hands to decide when that time would arrive. Saul was also chosen by God at one point and David knew Saul’s life was not his to take. He could’ve have continued on to please his men, but he chose not to go against what his heart was speaking to him.
If we want our hearts to reflect the hearts of God, to desire what God desires, we can look to David in these ways mentioned above. Turn to God for guidance, and then follow through with great faith and trust. Humbly following God is not just a life of staying back keeping sheep, sometimes it means we have to enter a battlefield.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (I Peter 2:9). You have been called out of darkness, friend. How are you basking in the glow of his marvelous light? Are you like Moses coming down from the mountain, face still shining from being in the presence of God? How can you live out your royal calling as a daughter of God, telling God’s praises as you go?
- When was the last time you prayed for guidance from God? I Peter 5:7 says we should cast all our cares on God, because he cares. God wants to carry our anxieties for us. What cares have you given to Him and what are you holding back?
- When was the last time your heart, or conscience, wouldn’t let you do something that you were encouraged (or pressured) by others to do? Is your heart craving approval from God or approval from those around you? It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man (Psalm 118:8).
Read next: The Character of David, The Bad
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