Jan
23
The David in Each of Us
January 23, 2008 |
Through the end of this month, the liturgy’s first reading is focused on the life and times of King David. His life story is my favorite Old Testament tale and one in which I think all men can take inspiration.
He succeeded and failed on a great scale. He was a man of tremendous strengths and crippling weaknesses. He did God’s will throughout his life and yet committed grievous sins. God took the good and the bad from him - and created in him the family from which our Saviour would come.
Yesterday’s reading tells the story of how the prophet Samuel was sent to Bethlehem to annoint the one who God would choose as the next king of Israel. Samuel finally came to David, who was still a mere boy. God let it be known that David was his choice and Samuel annointed him. Out of all the men that Samuel evaluated that day, David was probably the least likely to be seen as the next king -yet that is whom God chose.
How many times have we thought we were not good enough to carry out a task? Welcome to the mind of David. How many times have we thought someone else was not good enough to carry out a task - merely because of how we perceived them? Welcome to the mind of Samuel. The lesson is that God chooses who he wants to do what tasks. It’s not up to us. If he wants us to do something, we better get to it - even if we don’t think we can do it. If he wants us to get someone else do something, we better not second guess him. We need to trust God’s will.
So, what is the first thing that David is called to do? Defeat Goliath, of course. This story is in today’s first reading. And the lesson for us is that we better do God’s will even if we think it is an impossible task. God will give us the resources to get it done. We just need to listen and obey.
Throughout the next week or so, we all should look afresh at David’s life and figure out how our attitude measures up. Do we trust God? Do we do his will? Are we man enough to be a great man of God - scars and all?
