Thursday, January 31, 2008

 

Dejunk our Life Series

 

1 Samuel 16:7 “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him.  The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 

 

The Noble Heart

 

In the Bible there are very few people who live their whole lives in plain view of the readers.  David is one of those personalities.   We first meet David as a young boy guarding his father’s sheep.  Amazingly, he is chosen by God to some day be king, primarily, because his heart is noble.  

 

David came to prominence in Israel through his service as a warrior.  He first killed Goliath and salvaged the army’s reputation.   King Saul sends him out to fight battles with the Philistines.   In each battle with Israel’s dreaded enemies, David wins victories for the country.   As David would return home the women would sing, “Saul killed his thousands but David his ten-thousands.”   

 

David wins a place in Saul’s household when he marries Saul’s daughter, Michal.  He is also famous for his music as a singer and composer.   Unfortunately, King Saul becomes jealous of David and he must flee from the palace.   After years as an exile in isolation, David perseveres.   Saul commits suicide and David’s best friend, Jonathan, who is Saul’s son, is also killed.   David is made king.  He captures Jerusalem and brings the Ark of the Covenant into the capitol city.   David proves himself a leader of substance.  

 

This was the highlight of his life and David said, “Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family that you have brought me thus far?”  Unfortunately, David lost sight of God and began to live for himself.   David commits adultery with Bathsheba, has her husband murdered, and is unable to set a worthy example, or discipline his children.  

 

I have seen many Christians who have lived a noble life, let go of their values, their ethics, and turned a dissolute heart to God.   May we learn from the lesson of David and not lose sight of what is important.    It is imperative that we live a life nobly intent on God and responding with our actions.   The easiest thing in the world is to forget the importance of our relationship with God and live for our own egos.  

 

Maybe the reason we have the story of David’s prominence and nobility in the first of his life contrasted with the faded glory of his faith in the last years of his life, is to remind us to stay true to God in every way.   Nobility wanes when we lose sight of the essential. 

 

Prayer:

Dear God, help me to always walk with you.  Amen.