Mindy Johnson

I have been reading in 1st and 2nd Samuel about David. The same David from one of our most loved and treasured stories, David and Goliath.

The more I read, the more this hero David from my childhood stories- seems -well, human.
He was a great leader, and wise and powerful king- with God's divine hand orchestrating everything. However, David made some pretty bad choices.

One choice in particular, almost angers me, quite honestly. His son, Amnon, rapes his daughter, (Amnon's half sister) Tamar. David does nothing about it. His own children! His own daughter violated and her life ruined!
So Absalom (Tamar's full brother) kills Amnon, and still David does not step in. What kind of father is this?- I ask myself.
What kind of leader is this?!

And I found myself starting to judge him, see him as a bad leader, an incompetent and bad father.
What a jerk! I start to think to myself.

God revealed himself to me tonight in a beautiful and big way. I realized tonight by looking in Psalms that God loved David SO much! And David loved God! The love story is poured out in beautiful words for us in Psalms so that we may reflect on his love for us and His hand on our lives.

This David is the same David who has found favor in the Lord's eyes and heart. He played music for the king, he fought Goliath for Saul. He was a loyal servant to Saul. And God crowned David as King.

So with God's hand and favor upon David, and with David seemingly in tune with God, how IS it that he MESSED up and missed the MARK!

God reminded me that He takes sinners to glorify his name and kingdom. He uses the incompetent, the imperfect, human, sinful man.

Jesus himself came from the lineage of David, Jesse's son. David was a great leader. However, he made mistakes, even late in life. Even with all his faults, failures, shortcomings - God still used David.

Psalms reflect David's love for his God. And the scriptures reflect God's love for David.

I think we should all look upon ourselves like a David. Lineage the opposite way, we, Gentiles, are grafted in and are heirs of the kingdom of God. And, just like David, we mess up. We fall short, and we fall...and there is God waiting for us to run back to Him so that we may receive His unconditional love and mercy, his forgiveness. And God has a plan to use us. He wants to use us to be his hands, his feet, his light in this messy world.

And He knows when we are going to fall and fall short of what He has called us to do- and still continues to write us in his plan.

That is so amazing to me. It humbles me. I am no greater than David. I have not been placed as a king or queen- nor have I killed any giants in the Lord's name.

I fail, I make mistakes. I see the world, even stories in the BIBLE with my own eyes and not with His. And yet, God still chooses to use me and still has a plan for my life so that my life may continue to bring Him glory.

The unconditional, unchanging, promise-keeping love from our Maker.
Knowing I will do things that is not glorifying Him such as in my marriage, as a mom, and God knew this all before time began, and he still gave me a wonderful husband and children.
Because He loves us. Period.