Sunday, August 30, 2009

Today's Passage: 2 Samuel 1-2

David mourns Saul and Jonathan in chapter one. David demonstrates respect, honor, and devotion to a man who was trying to kill him. More importantly, his mourning and dirge show his devotion to God and His plan no matter how difficult the circumstances proved to be. David is made King over Judah at the beginning of chapter two. We do not see David anxiously and impatiently seize the throne that was his by God's anointing. He first inquires of the Lord, and then follows His direction. Most of us would probably have said, or at least thought, "Sheww, glad Saul is dead so I can get on with being king!" Here, again, we see David was truly a man after God's own heart. The complications of David's life and reign continue with a civil war between Judah and Israel. While David was being made king over Judah, Abner took Ish-Bosheth, son of Saul, and made him king over Israel. Still, we find David patient and faithful.
How did David maintain his relationship with God through all of this? The Psalms give us a window into this question. If you read through them you will see David's blatent honesty before God in anxiousness, fear, suffering; the entirety of human emotion is there. However, it is always expressed alongside the praise of God. David's life was a clear picture of an intimate relationship with God. We can go to God in the highest joy and in the deepest tragedy, and praise Him in the midst of it all. That's what David did. What is keeping us from doing the same? Whatever it is -- it's keeping us from intimately knowing our Creator and God.