David developed a close, personal relationship with the Lord. This friendship began in the fields when David was a shepherd boy, and it continued for the rest of his life:

The LORD is my shepherd. I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul. (Ps 23:1-3a, NIV)

David sought God's presence through prayer (see Ps 27:7-10), and he discovered the truth of Jesus' words: "Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you" (Matt 7:7 // Luke 11:9).

David prayed at all times of the day, but particularly in the morning (see Pss 5:3; 55:17; 63:6). Through prayer, he cultivated an intimacy with God that allowed him to express his deepest thoughts and feelings. David could share his joys and victories with the Lord:

O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God. (Ps 59:17)

He could freely express his doubts and sorrows:

How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? (Ps 13:1-2; compare Pss 25:16-17; 31:9; 86:1-4)

And David could confess his sins, find God's forgiveness, and allow the Lord to reshape his character:

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Ps 139:23-24)

Sing to the LORD, you saints of His; praise His holy name. For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. (Ps 30:4-5; compare Pss 19:12-13; 103:1-5, 8-14)

David also sought communion with God at the Tabernacle, where the Lord's special presence remained with the Ark of the Covenant (discussed in Bare Roots 14.4). David wanted the Lord close to him always, so he ordered the Ark moved to his home in Jerusalem. As the Ark entered the city, the people shouted, the trumpets sounded, and David himself leaped and danced for joy. When his wife complained that he had lost his dignity, David replied that he had only humbled himself before God (see 2 Sam 6; compare 1 Cor 4:10). Later he prayed:

One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek Him in His Temple. (Ps 27:4; compare 122:1)

Through time spent together, David grew to love God not just intellectually but emotionally. Such love made David want to please God, and it welled up in continual praise. Through his beautiful songs to the Lord, David has taught the world how to worship and pray:

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. (Ps 63:1; compare 143:6)

David's desire to live in the Lord's presence each day made him "a man after God's own heart."

Reflect...

1. Scripture includes at least 77 Psalms of David (Pss 3-9, 11-32, 34-41, 51-65, 68-70, 86, 101, 103, 108-110, 122, 124, 131, 133, 138-145; 2 Sam 1:17-27; 22:1-51; 1 Chron 16:7-36; 29:10-13). Sixteen are linked with specific events in David's life. In chronological order, they are Pss 59, 56, 34, 142, 52, 54, 57, 7, 18; 2 Sam 1, 22; 1 Chron 16; Pss 51, 3, 63; and 1 Chron 29. As you read these Psalms, what themes appear? What do you learn about how a person of faith relates to the Lord?
   
2. Read 2 Samuel 24. What was David's sin? (See 1 Chron 27:23-24.) How did the king respond to God's judgment, and what does this tell us about David's relationship with the Lord? (See 2 Sam 24:14, 24.)

Christopher A. Davis, Ph.D.
Professor of New Testament
Hope International University
Fullerton, California

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