And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah are too strong for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer according to his evil deeds!” – 2 Samuel 3:39

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 4, 2013): 2 Samuel 3

One of the common complaints that I hear from people as they are asked to assume a leadership position is that they feel that they are not good enough. Sometimes I think it is a false modesty, but there are also times that I think the feeling is heartfelt. And what these people probably do not know is that I understand exactly where it is that they are coming from. There is scarcely a day that goes by that I do not think that the job that God has called me to is far too big for me. I hear my well meaning supporters cheer me on, and I am so glad for every one of them, because without them I am not sure that I would have the courage to take even one more step.

Surprisingly enough, it seems that David knew exactly where it is that we are coming from as well. His comment is that although there is no doubt in his mind that he is to be the king – that he has been anointed into that position – yet at this moment he does not feel like a king. David uses weak to describe his kingdom, but a better translation might be young. Although he knew that Israel would be his kingdom someday, today he just did not have the necessary support. Of the twelve tribes of Israel, it was only his own tribe of Judah that was willing to commit themselves to the young king. The other tribes had all either declared for a remaining son of Saul, or they were waiting to see what would happen in the power struggle that was yet to come.

Either way, David was too weak to handle the opposition that had arisen. So he would have to depend on God. I think one of the toughest truths of Western spiritually is found right here. While we want to be independent, our spirituality depends on how willing we are to be dependent. God’s call is rarely to an area where we feel we have everything under control. And so we continually find ourselves in a place where we feel that we are not good enough.

But not being good enough does not mean that we cannot learn to become better at that task. David was weak, and I am not sure that he would ever describe himself as strong – even though we see David as one of the most powerful and successful kings of Israel. For David, there was always something new, a challenge that he had not yet conquered. And throughout his reign he seemed to keep pressing himself on into areas where he found himself to be – weak. But that willingness to press into those areas – and to be dependent on God – is exactly what gave him the successes that we remember when we hear his name.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 2 Samuel 4