Beloved

Why was David so loved of God? He was “the one” who was a man after God's own heart. What was the heart of God in David? One of the Beloved’s gifts was David's absolute confidence in God's power through him to slay Goliath. He believed God. His Faith was a huge unscalable wall. And he knew something we may not acknowledge today. God worked through David, he knew that.

When David slew the lion and the bear, it was the Lord working through him. David had his part. He took action. God had His part. He inhabited the action. In the circumstances of the lion and the bear, David was compelled to fight to save his sheep and possibly himself. The action—the lion came—and David responded. He still had a choice, he could have let the sheep go and the lion have his prey. He was put into the situation that required a response and the Lord acted through him.

With Goliath there was no dire immediate demand. It wasn't a pressure situation like a lion and bear with certain negative outcome. It wasn't as immediate nor as instinctive. With the lion and the bear David was doing his job, keeping the sheep. With Goliath David had taken offense at the afront to God's people of whom the Philistine boasted with evil conjecture! Who would dare to come against God's people? Goliath the giant came at David with his sword and spear but David came to Goliath in the name of the Lord. David even stated his weapon was God, before any stone was slung! The distinction here is David willingly put himself in harm's way to defend the name of the Lord. There was nothing David feared because God was with him. David did his part, he took action and God did His part He inhabited the action. The stone killed Goliath.

Faith engendered fearlessness. 

David never considered himself capable to the task of overcoming the giant, Goliath. He knew the Lord would do it.

The second Beloved’s gift was Humility as he came under authority. David came under the authority of the Father when he did not kill King Saul in the cave. A lesser man would have gone for revenge and considered their action righteous. A lesser man would have killed the enemy, King Saul who had been hunting and tormenting David for years. It could easily be justified. But David Humbled himself under the mighty hand of God. He knew Saul was still the anointed king, anointed by God. David's restraint was admirable given the promise of Samuel that David would be King one day. David only cut a piece of King Saul's robe to demonstrate something. David bowed to authority, Godly order and Holy timing.

One time while David was in hiding, he carelessly expressed a desire for water from the well in Jerusalem. Careless, unthinking and a remark that endangered others. Near his side were three mighty warriors who risked their lives to get him a drink. They crept into Jerusalem under the cover of night and they brought the precious water David had craved. Mission accomplished by his best men. David realized that his selfish desire foolishly expressed had jeopardized the lives of these great men who fought by his side. He saw their loyalty. He saw their obedience and he saw the potential loss. He used their loyalty and obedience given him by God to gain a selfish end. Smitten he poured the water out as a sacrificial offering to God. Here we see the third beloved gift, David Repentant. David was quickened in his spirit and corrected. He was humbled before God and his own men. He saw this error and corrected it. The very precious, costly water was poured out as an offering unto God.

David was truly loved of God. David means Beloved.

David had Faith and knew that God would inhabit his actions as he served God.

David feared God and came under His authority with Humility.

David was quickly corrected and Repentant.

How do we, His present-day servants, fare? Do we have these gifts of the Beloved? The Lord was always with David, whether David tackled the lion, resisted vengeance, or perceived error and then received correction. He was made fearless by his perfect fear of God. He came under authority. His heart was repentant, He remained humble.

Oh Lord we pray that we might all be as “the one,” your Beloved after your own heart.