Introduction

I have long been fascinated with the person of David in the Bible. I remember as a child waiting anxiously in Sunday school to get through the reading of creation and all of the wonderful parts of the Pentetuch that come before 1 Samuel where my favorite Bible persona was waiting to enchant me once more. For a long time I probably thought of him as a Bible character--nothing more than the fictional boys and girls in the stories I loved to read. Later on, however,I came to view David as more than that.

At first I was drawn to his story; he was chosen as a young man to become the King over all of Israel and he waited a long time for that to happen. It was almost like reading a fairy tale. Later in my life, it was David's love of music and heart-felt prayers in the form of Psalms that drew me to him. Eventually, though, it was David's humanity that made him so relatable. As I got older and the innocence of my childhood became just a memory, David grew with me--from the innocent child chosen by Samuel to lead the people of God to a man wracked by guilt but always finding the love of his God waiting to welcome him back.

I have lost my own way a thousand times. I have been a Christian since I was very young, but sometimes I need a reminder of why I chose to believe in the first place. During those times, the story of David serves as a reminder of the grace and mercy of a God who is, and always must be, a sovereign and just God. Though David fell from grace, he always came to realize that he was not permanently lost. I have come to this same realization many times, and so, as I remind myself once more of the amazing nature of the One whom I, like David, have served since my youth, I will write what I observe so that I can always look back on it later.