I just love David. Whether it is the stories of him as a heroic child, ones where he was running for his life, or those of him as King, I just find them incredible and, many of them, so vulnerable and real. I relate so much to David. As a kid he was so often overlooked, undervalued, and even left out (see the story of his anointing starting in 1 Samuel 16). I understand that. When I was a kid, I always felt a little like an outsider. I got along with everyone but, because of my faith, I never could bring myself to do or say so many of the things like the “popular” kids said or did. I was straight laced to the point of being judgmental to those around me when they weren’t. This is especially true when it came to friends who also claimed to be Christians.

David was a little that way. He was appalled that no one was standing up to Goliath and just had to speak up. “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 1 Samuel 17:26. He spoke up so much that it eventually got back to King Saul and he ended up getting thrown into battle. I get that. Now, don’t get me wrong, I have never fought a giant, not even close. I have, however, spoken up for things that I didn’t think agreed with scripture. More often than not, they were not always received well. I have lost friends over issues where I didn’t bend to popular opinion. David wasn’t very popular with his brothers who were too afraid to fight in that moment.

If you fast forward in David’s story, he continues to find himself in battles he didn’t want. His loyalty to King Saul eventually got him in trouble when Saul started to get jealous of the popularity of David. “When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres. As they danced, they sang: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.’ Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. ‘They have credited David with tens of thousands,’ he thought, ‘but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?’ And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David.” 1 Samuel 18:6-9. It was that jealousy that drove Saul to eventually try to kill David. So many of the most heartfelt psalms that David penned were actually written during the time that he was running for his life. For example, Psalm 57 and 59, has been something I have clung to so many times throughout the years when I have felt attacked or discouraged.

Finally, David as King is filled with so many good things. He is such a fallen man in so many ways, especially when he gets in the role as king. We all probably know of his adultery/murder saga with Bathsheba, and you likely know he had numerous wives and concubines, however, God still refers to him as a man after His own heart (see Acts 13:22). I love that. I love that God uses deeply fallen and sinful individuals. There is hope for all of us to be used by God. What I also love is that even in his fallen state, we see David repent and seek the face of God. I pray that when God refers to me, He says that I am a woman after His own heart, despite my shortcomings.