05 January, 2023
My King and My God
Currently, I’m going through the book of Psalms in my own personal Bible study time, which probably means you’re going to see a lot of stuff from the Psalms if you keep up with my writings. Regardless, Psalms is an amazing book because it not only gives us such relatable passages to read and take as comfort, but it also gives us an amazing look into the mind of the man who was labeled as ‘the man after God’s own heart,’ King David.
Nobody's Perfect
Now, don’t get me wrong, we shouldn’t make an idol out of King David. I take issue with the number of people who say, “I want to be like ______ from the Bible!” Spoiler alert! If you choose anyone other than Jesus, they were imperfect just like me and you. Instead, we need to learn from every biblical character as to how they show aspects of who Jesus is rather than striving to be like them in our own lives. However, I digress.
Gotta Love King David
The reason why I love seeing into King David’s mind is similar to why I love seeing into the mind of King Solomon. These were two men that seemingly had it all yet were deeply broken individuals. We see in Ecclesiastes how even though Solomon has had all the riches of the world in every way, he finds fulfillment in none of them. Instead, he says:
The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
At the end of it all, despite everything King Solomon had experienced and had, he realized that the most important things were to fear God and keep His commandments. Similarly, David, although King of Israel, found that the most important thing to him was to be close to God. We get to see a glimpse of this in the Psalms that he wrote and man, it’s an amazing perspective.
Psalm 5
Psalm 5 is one of these Psalms that shows a glimpse of David’s heart and mind for God. The whole thing is a plea from David to God to lead him in righteousness. He’s asking God to guide Him in doing exactly what Solomon spoke about: fear God and keep His commandments.
However, when looking at this Psalm, there was a specific verse that stood out to me. At the very beginning of the Psalm, David is crying out to God to hear him, and he says in verse 2:
Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray.
Psalm 5:2
Why do I find this interesting? It may sound to you like David is just asking God to hear him. However, 5 words jump out to me here: my King and my God. This is how David defines his relationship with God. God is both his King and his God.
The Reasoning
I find this so profound because, at least in my life, I’ve found that my success or failure in fearing God and keeping His commandments is relatively dependent upon God’s titles in my life. One truth that has stuck with me for quite some time concerning this is that if I were to truly view God as God, then I would have no issue obeying. He’s the Creator of the universe, who the heck am I to question Him or disobey?
Yet, as so many of us find ourselves, I find myself declining into viewing God as merely a friend or merely someone to help me in a time of need. So, I fall off with my Bible reading. I only call God when I need Him. I go through the motions and focus on other stuff – all because the identity of God in my life has been distorted.
But look at this verse. Certainly, the identity of God in King David’s life is right where it should be – my King and my God. This is why I find this so profound.
The King of Israel who had everything he could have wanted at his disposal looks at God and says, “My King”. Is that not amazing? Absolute power corrupts absolutely, yet David seems to know exactly where he stands in the power hierarchy. He may be king, but he’s the king of God’s people. That means he also has a king to report to.
Yet even outside of the power hierarchy, he recognizes God’s cosmic sovereignty, authority, and power and says, “My God”. What an amazing perspective that we should adopt, all wrapped up in 5 words.
Who Is He to You?
Who is God to you today? Is He your king and your God? Or is He merely an accessory to your life that you pull out when you need it? Maybe you don’t even know God or believe He exists. That’s okay too. Regardless, we all need a wake-up call as to how we view God and I hope this was it.
If you have any questions, comments, or thoughts, always feel free to email me at unrollthescrolls@gmail.com. Thanks for reading!