... there once was a little boy named David

Today, I am just going to expand on a comment I left on Mike Cope’s blog today:

David is one of my favorite Bible characters. He is real. We have chronicled for us his ups and his downs (just don’t read 1 Chronicles only when reading David’s story – mostly good news. Hey, they’re telling the king’s story! Who wants to hear bad news?). The most powerful thing we have from David is his own personal reflections on some of the hard times he went through. In the Psalms! No other Bible character gives us a glimpse into his own heart the way David does. Yes, we have the story, the narrative, but these are David’s own thoughts and prayers, and sometimes his own soul bare for us all to see and learn from. Here are a few examples:

• Psalm 142: in 1 Samuel 22 it tells us that David escaped from King-gone-nutjob Saul to a cave near Adullam. (In Psalm 55 and 34 David also pours out his heart before God, but notice the change in his voice from 142 to 55 to 34). Listen to some his words penned from 142:

Look right, look left—
there's not a soul who cares what happens!
I'm up against it, with no exit-- bereft, left alone.
I cry out, GOD, call out:
'You're my last chance, my only hope for life!'
Oh listen, please listen; I've never been this low.
Rescue me from those who are hunting me down;
I'm no match for them.
Get me out of this dungeon so I can thank you in public.
Your people will form a circle around me
and you'll bring me showers of blessing!"
(Psalm 142:4-7, The Message)

• Psalm 32:3-4: He’s writing after the fact what it was like holding his adultery, lying, and murder inside. Outside of Psalm 51, the most gripping look into David’s heart. His words:

Before I confessed my sins,
my bones felt limp,
and I groaned all day long.
Night and day your hand weighed heavily on me,
and my strength was gone as in the summer heat.
(Psalm 32:3-4, CEV)

• Psalm 51: the obvious. But so powerful. David, once convicted of his sin, throws himself completely, 100% on the mercy and grace of God. I am particularly drawn to verse 17:

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.
(Psalm 51:17, ESV)