A Heart Like David ♥

By Hazel Holland

What is God seeking to teach us through David’s life?  I believe He's calling us to have a heart that forgives and refuses to take offense no matter how painful the rejection, and no matter how unjust the treatment we suffer.  We are being called to sow seeds of life—not death.  

Although we don't kill one another with swords today, we often destroy one another  with another kind of sword—the tongue.  “The tongue has the power of life and death…” (Proverbs 18:21). 

James, the brother of Jesus warns us, “Consider that a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.  The tongue also is a fire, a word of evil among the parts of the body.  It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire…  With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.  My brothers this should not be.  Can both fresh water and bitter water flow from the same spring?” (James 3:5-6, 9-11).  The obvious answer is, “No!” The rocks and stones of bitterness and unforgiveness must first be removed in order for the fresh water to flow.

If we carry bitterness and unforgiveness in our own hearts more than likely we’ll find a place to unload our  resentments on those closest to us.  But the onslaught of our words used in anger against others only brings division between friends, within families and in the church.  Truth spoken without love is most certainly a clanging cymbal (1 Corinthians 13:1).  It stirs up dissension among brothers (Proverbs 6:16-19). 

As we look back on David’s life two things come to my mind that bare taking note of.  While God used David’s purity of heart to expose Saul’s sins, God also used Saul’s hardness of heart to teach David how to walk in obedience to the Spirit of God.  By refusing to respond with bitterness and unforgiveness in his heart, and remove himself from God’s will, David patiently endured rejection, hardship and betrayal at the hands of his father-in-law, Saul.  Because David was free from offense toward Saul, he chose to make an oath with the King and vowed not to cut off his descendants after Saul died (1 Samuel 24:21-22).  Notice how David fulfilled his promise to Saul after he became king.  

"Is there anyone still left in the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” David asked after he became king (2 Samuel 9:1).  We discover that Saul had a grandson named Mephibosheth who was crippled in both feet.  David brought this crippled man into his palace.  Not only did he restore to him all the land owned by his grandfather, Saul, but he also invited him to always eat at his own table.  Mephibosheth was treated like one of David’s own son’s, and he always ate at the king’s table. No wonder God says that David was a man after His own heart!

I believe the Holy Spirit is calling us to leave Lo Debar—the place of no pasture where Mephibosheth lived, also (See 2 Samuel 9:5), and come and rest in His green pastures (Psalm 23:1).  As we come out from hiding in our hovels, He will restore to us the glorious inheritance that is ours in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:13-14).  He will prepare a table before us so that we may feast on the abundance of His house and drink from His river of delights at all times (Psalm 36:8).  Surely His goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives, and we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:6). 

King David broke the cycle of spiritual abuse in his family by offering unconditional mercy and love in the place of deserved judgment.  God is calling us to do the same with each other.  Just as God has forgiven you and I and has reconciled us to Himself, He is calling us to be reconciled with each other.  We are to continue to show forth His agape love even to our enemies because we were once his enemies, too!  Will you answer the call of the Spirit today and chose to have a heart filled with God's mercy like David? ♥