2 Samuel 22 starts like this, “David sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul.” (NLT)
As I came to this chapter this past week, I took time to read, reflect, and take a glimpse inside the life of King David. We are familiar with the verse in Acts 13:22 (ESV) “and when he had removed him (Saul), he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’” After reading through 1 & 2 Samuel, with all its transparency, we may have a hard time understanding why David was called that by God – a man after God’s own heart. I believe 2 Samuel 22, gives us a look into why. 
In his book, A Man of Passion and Destiny – David, Charles Swindoll suggests these themes of 1 Samuel 22:
- When times are tough, God is our only security (vs. 2-10)
- When our days are dark, the Lord is our only light (vs. 21-31)
- When our walk is weak, the Lord is our only strength (vs. 22-40)
- When our future is foggy or fuzzy, the Lord is our only hope (vs. 50, 51)
This chapter, sometimes called “David’s Song of Deliverance”, gives us a picture of a man who had a relationship with God. No, he was not perfect. Clearly, 1 & 2 Samuel record the sin and its consequences of much of David’s life. He was a man on the run from his enemies, his own family, and his own failures. But what I found interesting was David’s heart for God. When confronted or convicted, he would always confess his sin and repent. He would seek to honor God and do His will.
When treated unfairly, he would often extend kindness and mercy to others. He would delight in the blessing of the people of Israel. He would also lament over their sin and rebellion. If you remember King Saul, you never saw those traits in him. He was too concerned with his insecurities – what everyone thought about him. He was more concerned about keeping his throne than he was about honoring God. In David, even though his great sins are recorded, we saw a man who knew God and desired to honor Him. David writes in Psalm 18:19 (ESV) “He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.”
Often, when a child of God grows old, they have times of reflection. They look back on their journey in this life and see times of regret. Times that if they had a chance to do some things over, they would choose differently. That is true for all of us. It was through those times of regret that we learned something about God though. Yes, we more than likely learned God’s Word matters. We also learned about His love, mercy, and grace. His truth does not change and the consequences of choosing against the truth are real. But His love is everlasting!
I trust that as you look back you can see the same truths about God that David did. Even if you are younger, I trust you can see God in your life’s story. Many people throughout the ages have agreed with David and were able to come to the same conclusion: God is our only security, the Lord is our only light, the Lord is our only strength, and the Lord is our only hope.
May you come to see and hold onto the same truths of God in your life.
Walking with you,
Pastor Brian