An Interview with David

            For by You I can run against a troop;
By my God I can leap over a wall.
As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the Lord is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
For who is God, except the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God?
God is my strength and power,
And He makes my way perfect.
He makes my feet like the feet of deer,
And sets me on my high places.
He teaches my hands to make war,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. –2 Sam 22:30-35

Imagine conducting an interview with King David, the most powerful warrior king of Israel. He never received military training, but he led an army to conquer all the neighboring nations and kings. He extended the borders of Israel’s kingdom so far that none of his successors was able to do so again. He was invincible.

You probably want to know the secret to his military prowess. You expect him to highlight his best military strategies, retell some valiant battles, or reminisce how he and his men bravely overcame the most difficult circumstances.

David certainly does not shy away from talking about his feats. He tells you that he is able to “run against a troop” and “leap over a wall.” His feet are as fast as the feet of deer. His arms are so strong that they can bend a bow of bronze. But these are really not his main point. In fact, you can see from his words that he doesn’t think it’s about him at all. Instead, he repeatedly tells of how God made it all happen for him.

The secret to David’s successes is that he always places his trust and confidence in God alone. For him, who gets the credit is never a question. He has known all along who makes him accomplish great things. He doesn’t try to take the spotlight from the true Hero, but speaks candidly and proudly about Him. It is this child-like dependence on the Lord that keeps him in God’s favor and continues to make him great.

In a world that idolizes heroes and celebrities, people attribute their successes to innovation, hard work, technology, persistence, or intelligence. God has been relegated to the realm of philosophy, and to give God credit has become a foreign idea.

Society teaches us to believe in and promote ourselves to achieve success. So it’s all too easy for us to forget how we got to where we are or who really made things happen. Even in serving God, we may tend to speak more about ourselves than about God.

But whenever we turn attention from God to ourselves, that is the beginning of our failure. Whenever we think our strength lies in ourselves, that is when we become most vulnerable.

If we wish to be as successful as David in God’s eyes, let God be our strength and power. Trust Him as our shield and our rock. Acknowledge Him always in our hearts and actions, and He will also do great things through us.