Written by: Carina Schmidt, from The Liebenzell Mission of Germany
The story of David began at a time when the Israelites saw that other folks had a king and realized that they didn't have a King but wanted one too. They wanted a good leader after all the drama that happened before (in the book of judges). Even though they had God as their King, it wasn’t enough for them. They started to compare God to the other Kings and began to compare what they wanted of a king.
In our world today, we look at what others have and what we don’t have. We start to compare ourselves with others and focus on what we want and need, maybe even to see if we have more than others. Now more than ever, the focus is more on ourselves - we are the center of our lives. How can I find a good morning routine, how do I find out what my strengths and weaknesses are, where can I still grow or how to take better care of myself so that I live the best life I could.
After hearing the cries of the His people God gave them what they asked for. God made a man named Saul, King of Israel, so the Israelites got what they wanted but it came with a cost. The Israelites got distracted and distanced themselves from God. After Saul, there was David. He was a new King that wanted to lead his people closer to God again. David did so well, that God Himself called David a man after God’s own heart. However, David got distracted. He committed adultery and prioritized his son over the people of Israel.
My journey with God started not too long ago. I grew up in a Christian home, but it took a while for me that I really want God to be the king of my life. I gave him my heart, but sometimes I still forget and get distracted.
It gives me hope that even David, a man after God’s own heart, get distracted - because he was sinful and was far away from God. However, every time David laid down his heart, realized what he did wrong, and asked for forgiveness, he went back to God. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what he has done, it matters where he turned to.
