Old Testament Bible stories range from creation, through family drama, floods, wars, kingdoms, slavery, prophecies and so much more.  As a child, when learning the twenty-third Psalm, I would picture David as a teen age boy, watching over sheep and having a creative soul that produced songs, psalms, and poems.  Is this totally factual, not sure, but in my young mind, I visualized him atop a rocky slope, glancing down to the grazing sheep and allowing the nature around him to bring him closer to God.

My conjured picture of David was distorted with the man he became, an adulterer, lusting after the married Bathsheba and conceiving a child with her.  Where did the young shepherd with beautiful writings go?  Then, the readings continue with him trying to get Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, back from battle to sleep with Bathsheba, so David would not be faulted for fathering her child.  The ploy did not work, so instead Uriah was sent to the frontline of the battlefield and there Uriah was killed.

David was King and held God’s favor.  Though God was displeased by some of David’s life choices, He forgave him and allowed David to rise in power. David did not just “skip through” his trials.  He and Bathsheba had four of their children die.  His people lost respect for him and his reputation was considerably tarnished.  David, for seven days, lay prostrate, begging God for forgiveness, grieving his misdeeds and showing genuine remorse.  God forgave David and blessed he and Bathsheba with another child, Solomon.

God loves each us the way He loved David.  If we repent, ask for forgiveness, God loving us unconditionally, will forgive our sins. What a wonderful God we serve!

Jill