Tuesday, June 23, 2009

2 Samuel 1

How the mighty have fallen. I bet we all can quickly bring up a face of someone who has fallen. Away from friends and family. Away from church. Away from Christ. It's easy to use their lives as a cautionary tale or even to point out where they went wrong and what they could have done better. But not here. Not David.

As harsh as his response was to the messenger, I think this may be the one thing I most respect in all of the stories of David. It's one thing to stand up for a leader you respect. A dear and trusted friend like Jonathan. But Saul had done everything in his power to destroy David. He had personally plotted his murder on several occasions. It was in a war against David that Saul finally lost his life. But David, even at news that his days of running for his life might be behind him, didn't rejoice. He never allowed himself the luxury of even a moment of selfish gloating.

I don't see any indication that he had to put forth effort to keep his reaction right either. His reaction was right because his heart was right. One of David's finest moments came at one of his lowest days. That's when the rubber meets the road. That's when I know that Christ in me has finally overcome me in me. Spirit over flesh.

What a noble man. A true king. A man after God's own heart.

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