David

Michelangelo's

Persecution, faith, prayer, trust – the four words that sum up the story of David, a true hero of the Bible. Although most Christians know him as a king, his stories provide inspiration not merely because of his greatness as a ruler, but as a man. Indeed, before he became king, he endured much torment from the previous king, Saul, yet David spared Saul’s life twice! Psalms, one of the books of the Bible, shows evidence of David’s trials and also his mercy, as many of its best poems were written by David in his time of suffering. Despite all this, there are even more aspects of David’s life that are encouragement. Throughout his anguish, he repeatedly praised God, something that even the most devoted Christians fail to do on a drastic scale. David, through his psalms and his life as recorded in the Bible, has taught valuable lessons about many important aspects of a relationship with God.

Only lately have many people begun to discover the profundity of David’s love and loyalty to his heavenly Father, and tried to apply that to their own situation. David, although knowing many difficult struggles, actually continued to praise God through them, as opposed to blaming Him. Many of David’s laments spoke of the despair and loneliness he felt in his period as a dogged escapee, like Psalm 39, especially in verses 12 and 13, which read, “Hear my prayer, O Lord,/ listen to my cry for help;/ be not deaf to my weeping./For I dwell with you as an alien,/a stranger, as all my fathers were./Look away from me, that I may rejoice again/before I depart and am no more.” The hopelessness of David is palpable in these verses, and it almost seems as if he believed that nobody ever heard his prayers. However, David does not stop there with a lament, for in Psalm 18:1 - 3, he describes the depth of his belief in the Lord: “I love you, O Lord, my strength./The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;/my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge./He is my shield and the horn of my/salvation, my stronghold./I call to the Lord, who is worthy of/praise,/and I am saved from my enemies.” Truly, David’s seemingly unconditional devotion to his Lord was very heroic.

In general, David is someone to look up to for more than a few reasons. Cool under pressure, he seldom failed to practice mercy and patience at the worst of times. Also, his tale of faithfulness to God through all instances gives me motivation to follow his model. Moreover, David did not curse God in any scenario, undeniably a display of great self-control. Amazingly, his loyalty had the stamina to repeatedly honor God during troubled times, and I have taken that to heart. Though the fact proves undeniable that David committed some grievous sins and he had his transgressions as with all humans, he has several admirable traits and a close bond with God. Without a doubt, David deserves the title of a role model in his desire to honor God through all circumstances.