David A Man Of Passion And Destiny

3.5 stars

I've been wanting to start reading this biblical character series by Charles Swindoll for a while, but I picked up this book at this time for one reason: I had finished reading 1 and 2 Samuel recently, and I did NOT like David. At all. Other times reading his story, I saw the kid who trusted God and took down Goliath, the young man who refused to take revenge on Saul when he had the chance, or the king who brought the ark of God back to Jerusalem with worship and dancing (which is all true). This time, however, I saw a miserable failure as a husband and father, a coward who ran when he should've stood, and a foolish leader whose pride led to a plague that killed 70,000. How is this guy called “a man after God's own heart”?

So I read this book to get a different perspective.

Pastor Swindoll basically paraphrased the story of David from 1 and 2 Samuel, then gave 3 or 4 life lessons at the end of each chapter. It was all good, but I wish it had gone a little deeper. I had hoped for an in-depth study of this man's life, rather than just a broad overview. I did draw some conclusions from what I read here though.

If you want to see the heart of King David, read the Psalms. They are full of cries for help, confession of sin, reminders of God's faithfulness in the face of our faithlessness. No matter how low David got in his own moral failures, his heart was still seeking the Lord. He paid for the sins he committed, as did his (many) wives, his children, and his entire kingdom. But he found grace and mercy every time he turned to his Father. That's man after God's heart.

One last note: I also heartily agree with Charles Swindoll when he wrote how glad he is that God is finished writing the Bible. Our sins won't be broadcast worldwide in the number one bestselling book of all time. We could each be featured prominently. Praise God that His mercies are new every morning.