I'm Still. Waiting.

In this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Martha shared some insights concerning King David that I'd like us to reflect on today.

David's life can be viewed as a series of preparatory cycles. As a teenager, David was anointed king in obscurity. Although David was still too young to serve in the army of Israel, he learned to fight effectively in the secret place of the wilderness, defending his father's sheep from lions and bears. David was then "promoted" to the task of carrying provisions from his father's household to his brothers on the battlefield. Eventually, the day came when his years of training in the wilderness resulted in Israel's victory over the Philistine army... but his victory did not win him the kingdom. Over the next decade, David's tenure as King Saul's armorbearer served as additional, patient preparation for David's adult life as a reigning king.

David understood that he could not save himself. In Psalm 51 we see King David, the successful warrior, confessing his failure to save himself. He notes that 1) he was born in sin; 2) his actions against Bathsheba and Uriah were ultimately sins against God; and 3) outside of God's intervention, there was no way that David could be restored into fellowship.

David recognized and craved the presence of the Holy Spirit. The central plea of Psalm 51, "Do not take Your Holy Spirit from me," shows us that David was aware of the work of the Holy Spirit in his life. As our pastor shared, David knew that everything he had accomplished was not because of his own strength or skill, but because the Spirit of God was working in and through him.

Perhaps we can walk with these three points today: not just as a reminder of where David was, but also as a litmus test for where we are. Are we joyfully obedient to God as we endure decades of training for the works God has in store for us? Are we free to admit that, without God, we have nothing and are nothing? Are we fully submitted to the Holy Spirit, taking on His desires as our own?

Lord God, thank You for reminding us of the life of King David. In him we see our own pressures, struggles, failures, and victories. You say David was a man after Your own heart: God, how we pray You can say the same for us. Make us a people who love You, long for You, and live in obedience to You.