David, the youngest son of Jesse was the God-chosen king of ancient Israel.
But before the crown was upon his head, he had to go through many years of hardship, disappointments,
persecution, unjust dealings by those who were close to him.
The beauty God saw in the young sheep keeper was his uprightness of heart.
David was of the fabric God could work with.
It was all providential to mold, shape and strengthen his character to become the king God desired for
His people. Because of David’s love for God and absolute trust in Him even in his young years, he had
no fear to approach the giant Goliath, of whom all Israel was sore afraid of. It was David’s desire to
glorify the power and name of Israel’s God to the enemy and his own nation.
He became a man of war with astonishing victories, for God was with him. This wrought envy and
jealousy in the present King Saul, who in time made David’s life miserable with relentless, senseless
persecution, making him his personal enemy.
David’s refuge was to seek the LORD who blessed him with the heavenly gift of prophecy, the talent
of composing the most heartfelt, deep spiritual psalms, exalting the glory and power of God the Creator,
to whom he could pour out all his sorrow, struggles and agony of heart and soul. In certain psalms
like 22, 69 and others, he was inspired to express, describe the sufferings of the Messiah, mingling
them with his own.
It is this marvelous gift of prophetic insight that made David so great a poet and writer, that set him
apart from all other kings in Israel, and that through his line the Messiah would come, calling the Son
of God the Son of David.
He was no pretender or hypocrite, but an open book to God for David was spiritually minded, a great
observer of nature, the works of God, compassionate, not offended when rebuked, but genuinely repented
of his sins, tried sincerely to make up where he failed, in short, a human being of integrity,
a man as the Bible says, “after God’s own heart.”
It was not given to David to build the temple in Jerusalem. But unknown to him his Psalms helped
countless souls who gave their heart and life to Jesus Christ, in time face perplexing trials and temptation,
in prayer crying out their despair, helplessness to the Saviour the very words written in the
Psalms, hoping, trusting God will hear them and then praise Him as David did.
Therefore the Psalms are such a blessing, a powerhouse to strengthen the faith of God’s people, persevering
in severe conflicts to the end, becoming living stones, a temple, a living sanctuary where God
dwells in the heart, His great desire for every soul.
May all, especially the young believers take courage to fight the good fight of faith,
loving, obeying our God and Creator that has the great and wonderful reward to spend eternity with
our precious, glorious Saviour and King, Jesus Christ! Amen.
Edda Tedford, Canada