I was thinking about King David the other day.  You know – the guy who wrote all those beautiful psalms.  The youngest chosen out of nine brothers to be the next king of Israel.[1] The fearless shepherd who fought against a giant with just a sling and five smooth stones and then stood over him – in victory.[2] The king who sinned against his God.

Yeah – that David.  The one who turned his eyes from God for one moment, and committed adultery the next.[3] That David.  The one who was said to be a man after God’s heart.  The one whose God said, “I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel.  I have been with you wherever you have gone…  Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth.  …I will give you rest from your enemies.”  Three chapters later, David displeases his God and becomes a man broken.

God is sovereign.  He is superior over all.  He knows all, He sees all, He is all.  If that is the case, then why is David raised up from a boy who shepherds flocks of wooly sheep, to become a young man who runs after the heart of His God, and then – only allowed to become a man who is broken and prostrated and weeping before His God?  If the choices that David makes – adultery, murder, lies – displease His God, what happens to the promises that God has made to this broken man?

As I sat and thought about David, I wondered how often I displease God.  How often have I turned my eyes away, if only for just a moment, only to find myself in the wrong place, at the wrong time?  And yet, just as God did for David, so He does for me and you – he takes away our sins.

I mulled over all of that and then a thought struck me.  God knew when He promised David prosperity, kingdoms on earth, and rest from his enemies that one day in the near future He would allow David to become broken.  He knew that David would one moment be running hard after the heart of God, only to take his eyes off that race and get a good look at Bathsheba, who just happened to be doing her morning bath routine – outside in the warm sunshine.  Maybe she did it to be noticed.  Maybe she knew the kings’ regimen and that he walked his rooftop each morning for his quiet time with his God.  Maybe she was testing him to see if he was half the man her husband Uriah, one of David’s most faithful and trusted servants in battle, boasted of him to be.  Maybe her thoughts were innocent and pure and she thought she was safe from the king’s roaming eyes, as his army was out in battle and he had always gone with them each time beforehand.

Whatever the case, God had made a promise to David that he would live victoriously, in prosperity, and in rest from his enemies throughout his life.[4] God promised this to David, knowing that three chapters later in time, the choices David made would displease Him.  God knew that there would be an afternoon coming soon, when David would choose to veer from the path that ran towards the heart of God and choose adultery for that period of time.  Because of his choice to deviate from what he knew was best and veer off course, he suffered the consequences.  His mistress for a day, Bathsheba, became pregnant. Trying to hide his sin, David schemes and tries to cover it up, ultimately ending up having his servant Uriah killed.  David also loses his newborn son, heir to his throne.

I guess this strikes me because so often we beat ourselves up over so many things, that we never fully experience the grace and forgiveness of the same God who loved and forgave a king who took a wrong turn.[5] A king who was after the heart of God and a God who was after the heart of mankind.  And – God kept His promises, even after all the choices David made.  David did prosper.  He did live in rest from his enemies with numerous victories.  Just as God had promised.  In spite of what David did, God took away his sin and kept His promises.

He will do no less for us.  He promises to supply our every need[6], according to His riches in heaven.  That sounds pretty prosperous and loving to me.  He promises that (like David experienced[7]), if we confess our sins to Him, He will forgive our sins[8] and make us clean again.

How amazing.  I sat there and thought about King David some more.  The King who had been badly broken and from that brokenness came some of the most poetic and beautiful psalms this world will ever know.  Psalms filled with an understanding of pain and the joy that comes after.  Psalms of worship and praise to a God who keeps His promises, no matter what we do.

Only a God of forgiveness and grace, such mercy and love would do that – would take one who is broken – someone like me – and make me whole again.

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