The Psalmist, and second King of Israel, David, had a close personal relationship with God. I love reading his stories in the Old Testament books of Samuel, Chronicles, and Kings.
David was no saint, but his heart was irrefutably bound to God. In one place God speaks of David as a man after his heart. You can read about David’s stories in the article Lessons from my mentors.
David was not afraid to confront God when he thought things were not right. He would say things like my enemies get off scot-free while I sit here and suffer. It isn’t right God, but even now I know that you will take care of me. (Evans paraphrase)
This is important because David knew that after all is said and done, God—his God—would be there for him. This allowed David to be as bold as a lion towards both his enemies and his God. David was not afraid to speak his mind because he knew that his heart belonged to God.
In one story he had one of his soldiers moved to the heat of battle in hopes of his life being taken; he was right. He did this because he lusted after the soldier’s wife, committing adultery with her. Following the mourning period, he stepped in to comfort the widow by bringing her into the palace and marrying her.
Knowing the truth, the prophet Nathan confronted David about it. Instead of making excuses, blaming everyone else, David fell to his knee’s crying out for forgiveness. This is what a close personal relationship with God will do. David did wrong, he knew it, but instead of exposing it, he attempted to cover it up. God hates deception and set out to expose it, and once exposed, David repented.
The 51st Psalm in the Old Testament book bearing the name is the result of that encounter. In the language of the King James version, David asks God to create in him a clean heart and to renew a right spirit within him. The Message Bible paints the picture this way. “Don’t throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me. Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails!”
This is what I love about this Old Testament mentor. He wasn’t afraid to be honest, with himself, or his God. Would to God we had leaders like that today. There are a few, I suppose, but for the most part, blame spews out of their mouths like the air they breathe. I only bring this up to show the contrast, not point a finger of accusation.
A close personal relationship with the godhead can be found in the life of David. His stories and his writing (in the book of Psalms) give us a clear picture of a difficult life of a man committed to his God. His stories show us how to hold the course, not being afraid to speak our heart knowing that our heart belongs to God.
The picture isn’t one of life on easy street, or sunshine and lollipops. It is a picture of harshness, pain, suffering, and agony. However, it is also a picture of salvation, deliverance, and redemption. God always wins, and those—like David—who know their God will never lose.