Couldn't Resist!

The end of 2 Samuel, and the beginning of 1 Kings are beautiful expressions of God's faithfulness and David's thankfulness, as the king closes out his life with God.  At the beginning of 1 Kings, David will "go the way of all the earth."  These last few chapters express David's love for God and his appreciation that God has been with him through all of his victories, all of his failures, and all of his time as king of Israel.  I want to stop on 2 passages here.

The first stopping place is something I couldn't resist (it's a song).  It is David's song to God (2 Samuel 22), expressed both here and in Psalm 18.  David says what all believers should be able to say if we realistically recounted our days of life.  David called, God heard; David was threatened, God delivered; David was weak, God strengthened; David wandered through sin and uncertainty, but God remained faithful. Both passages therefore become more than songs of victory—they are the testimony of an aging servant looking backward and recognizing that, through every season, “the way of the LORD is perfect” and “the word of the LORD is flawless” (2 Sam. 22:31; Ps. 18:30).  The Lord truly liveth, and blessed be the rock of our salvation!

The second stopping place is an application of the song and the Psalm above.  David is building an altar to God.  He buys a piece of property from Araunah (by the way, this property will eventually become Solomon's Temple).  The prophet Gad instructed David (from God's direction) to buy this site.  Araunah told David he could have this property and the oxen for the burnt offering, free of charge.  David responded, "I will not give to the Lord my God a burnt offering that costs me nothing (2 Samuel 24:24)." David didn't just remember God's blessings and faithfulness ... he responded in appreciation and thankfulness.

What can we learn from these two stories?  Maybe this:

1. God's presence with us through all of life is worthy of our praise, of our song, of our thanks, and of our last breath.  Even then, God is good "all the time."

2. James tells us, "faith without works is dead (James 2:26).  David demonstrates something the modern church needs to learn and apply ... praise without response is dead.  David's song of praise is made a living stone (an altar and a temple are built on this site) because David doesn't just sing ... he acts.

May we go and do likewise!  Praise with practice is alive!