When Samuel, Israel’s prophet, was sent by God to the house of Jesse, it was with the top-secret mission to anoint King Saul’s replacement, without the emotionally unstable king’s knowledge, of course. Samuel wanted this to be a quick splattering of oil on the forehead of the fortunate son, followed by an equally brief prayer of blessing. Then, he would be off again. But it wouldn’t play out like that. Seven strong young sons were presented but the Lord made it clear that his preferred selection process was radically different to that of man. It would be a mysterious one, not based on any outward trait, but one based solely on what the heart was like. The final, and youngest, son was called for and when he, David, walked in, Samuel received the confirmation for which he’d been waiting. He had identified God’s choice.
The following seventeen years would, to all outward appearances, be a mysterious way for God to bring His chosen king to the throne. David narrowly escaped death at Saul’s own hand. For several years, David was Public Enemy #1, running from the king and the king’s army. David cobbled together an army of his own from a group of questionable recruits. When the opportunity presented itself to kill the king and hasten his own royal ascent, David refused to take the matter into his own hands. Later, as king, David was a warrior, an adulterer, and a murderer. One of his own sons rebelled against him. And shockingly, Scripture records David as a man after God’s own heart! (you can’t make this stuff up!)
During his forty years on Israel’s throne, David composed hundreds of poems of worship and praise out of the abundance of his love for God and his deep reverence of God’s mysterious ways. The Book of Psalms includes many of his compositions. Many times over, David expresses his wonder at the character of God. From Psalm 8: “Your glorious majesty streams from the heavens . . . Compared to all this cosmic glory, why would you bother with puny, mortal man or be infatuated with Adam’s sons?” TPT. From Psalm 100: “For the Lord is always good and ready to receive you. He’s so loving that it will amaze you – so kind that it will astound you! And he is famous for his faithfulness toward all. Everyone knows our God can be trusted, for he keeps his promises to every generation!” TPT.
A millennia after David, the Apostle Paul writes to the church in Rome: “Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, the deep, deep wisdom? It’s way over our heads. We’ll never figure it out.” MSG. And two millennia after Paul, I can say with great confidence, ‘Amen, Paul, you were absolutely right! I’ll never figure out the mysterious, loving, ways of God! I’m just choosing to trust His goodness and faithfulness one day at a time.’ PD
Don graduated from Regent University in 1988 and moved to France for seven years, coming back to the US briefly to marry Sue in 1990. The work in France included working in a Christian School and helping plant a church before returning in 1995. He’s been pastor of Peninsula Vineyard since 1999. He enjoys counseling, especially married couples, traveling back to France (with Sue), reading, doing Sudoku puzzles and sleuthing out good, dark chocolate. Don serves as the senior pastor of the Vineyard Church Peninsula, in Newport News, Virginia.