I have been reading the Old Testament of the Holy Bible repeatedly, over the past one to two years, and I have noticed a trend, a pattern, that may be obvious to some, but is a revelation to me.

The people cried out for a king. But they had a king, God was their king. But they wanted a man to be king, so God chose Saul. Saul was “kingly”; he was tall like an important ruler; he was handsome; he looked the part.

Saul was not faithful in the end. He did two major things he ought not to have done (haven’t we all done things we regret?). He railed against David, who was his better, but his subordinate, and he consulted the witch of Endor, and was not patient to wait for God’s word from Samuel the prophet.

Saul ended up falling on his sword to keep from being tortured by his adversary. David was not his adversary, though Saul might have thought so. His opposition was the Philistines. He was buried in a family tomb, better than some Israelite kings, but his end could have been better.

How many times have I been impatient and paid the price. I probably can’t count that high if I could recall all the times.

David was a faithful king. He did sin against Uriah with Bathsheba and kill the man to have his wife. That was a terrible sin. He also counted the troops, and for that, seventy-thousand lost their lives.

But David’s heart was for the Lord. All his life, notwithstanding his two mistakes, he worked for God and did His will and lived to please Him. When Saul was trying to murder him out of mad jealousy, David twice had the upper hand and could have killed him, but David wouldn’t do it.

1 Samuel 26:9

⁹ But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless?

But it was more than just his fear of the Lord, it was his LOVE for the Lord and his awe and reverence toward Him that stayed his hand.

David’s one son came to grief due to David’s sin with Bathsheba and subsequent murder of her husband, but the Lord kept David on the throne and blessed him greatly.

Why, when he sinned? No one is perfect, and David’s heart was right. He honored God in most everything he did, while many other kings bowed to idols, sacrificed their children and committed many repeated sins and did not repent.

Later, many kings ruled, and when they honored the Lord and worshiped Him, they had longer lives and their ends were better. Some of the good ones stumbled later in life, but for their good deeds and hearts, their ends were not as bad and they were remembered and buried much better. The evil kings had terrible fates, and were cursed by God.

That reminds me that while I sin, and am not perfect, I want to honor the Lord and also to finish strong. I want to have as few asterisks as possible.

Yes, I do live to eat food, and I sometimes insist on my own way, but more and more, I’m trying to have God’s way. It is the best for me, and for anyone else. I hope you love well and finish strong.

We are only here on Earth for a short time, and then we face the Lord. I hope we can all hear:

Matthew 25:21

²¹ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

The enemy doesn’t want us to hear that. I pray we all hear it nonetheless.

Image generated by AI