When you’re older and looking back on your life, what will you be thinking about? What will you want to tell others? Will you think that you’ve lived to your highest potential and fulfilled God’s purpose for your life? David’s story is a patchwork of good and bad, profit and loss, victory and defeat. These are some of the things that happened during his lifetime: one son killed another, his wife turned her back on him, his friends betrayed him and took his kingdom, his mentor tried to kill him, his family rejected him, and he spent a lot of time hiding out in caves. But when David was dying, the Bible tells us ‘the last words of David.’ Does he talk about Goliath? Or Saul? Or Bathsheba? No. ‘David, the man who was raised up so high…the man anointed by the God of Jacob…the sweet psalmist of Israel, [said], “The Spirit of the LORD speaks through me; his words are upon my tongue. The God of Israel spoke. The Rock of Israel said to me: ‘The one who rules righteously…in the fear of God, is like the light of morning at sunrise…a morning without clouds…the gleaming of the sun on new grass after rain.’ Is it not my family God has chosen? Yes, he has made an everlasting covenant with me. His agreement is arranged and guaranteed in every detail. He will ensure my safety and success”’ (vv. 1-5 NLT). Why are these words recorded in Scripture? For the benefit of those of us, like David, who are less than perfect but whose hearts never stop trying to follow God.

What now?

Whatever you’re facing at the moment, choose not to dwell on it and speak only of God’s faithfulness and goodness.