Perceive:  In the last four sections he gives credit to the Lord who enabled him to defeat his enemies in battle (verses 35–42) as well as the ability to govern contentious subjects (verses 43–45). It ends with praises to the Lord for giving him victory (verses 46–49) and closes with an affirmation of God’s loving kindness for King David and his descendants (verse 50). David is a godly warrior looking back on all the greatness of God and the victories He has brought. God equipped and strengthened him to be a warrior king, and to shepherd the people of Israel. His blessings are forever.
 
Practice: God promises to give us the same kind of strength when we face similar challenges. However, He never promises to remove them. Even Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). Difficulties by design force us to grow in our knowledge and experience of God. Are you leaning on a crutch or depending on God? God is glorified when we worship Him in times of heavy heartache as well as times of joyful pleasure.
 
Pray: Great and Mighty God, thank You for the situations in my life that teach me to rely on You. Please continue to strengthen my heart as I seek Your face in the trials of life.​
​
This devotional challenge comes from The Heart of a Lion - King David of Israel and is available on Amazon.com

• Perceive: In the next three sections, David describes how God saved him from his enemies (verses 16–19) and then reflected on why God saves him (20-27), followed by an eloquent description of the Lord’s goodness to him (verses 28–34). When he felt such distress that it was like drowning, he cried out to God (16-17). He sets a fabulous example for all to follow. David was faithful to the Lord, and God was faithful to act on his behalf. The way we relate to God often determines how the Lord relates to us.

 
Practice: When David felt helpless and weak, he looked to the Lord for rescue. When you wish that God would quickly rescue you from your hardships, keep in mind that He can deliver. He can provide support. His arm is not too short (Isaiah 59:1). Hardly ever does His will and His timing match our will and timing. When you feel like you’re drowning in hardships, ask God to help you, keep you on the right course, and protect you from harm.
 
Pray: Great and mighty God, please continue to shore me up and fill me with Your power and presence. Help me make sense of all that is going on in my life and place my trust in Your divine interventions.​
​
This devotional challenge comes from The Heart of a Lion - King David of Israel and is available on Amazon.com

Perceive: This is a large psalm written when David felt the Lord had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and the hand of Saul. It is a royal psalm of thanksgiving divided into ten parts. You can read a mirror copy in 2 Samuel 22.  It begins with praising the Lord for his deliverance (verses 1–3), followed by a description of his desperate situation (verses 4–6). He then describes how the Lord appears in power and might (verses 7–15). Delivered is the key word in this psalm and the key thought is that God delivers when we call on Him.
 
Practice: David was anxious for God to deliver him from all his trials and troubles. In this psalm, he recognizes the attributes of God like being his rock, fortress, deliverer, shield, horn, salvation, and stronghold. He also recognizes God is sovereign over life, including nature, and describes some of His actions like earthquakes, fire, smoke, dark clouds, rain, hailstones, and thunder. When David called upon God, he would act through whatever means He felt appropriate for the situation. What situation are you in that you should cry out to God?
 
Pray: O Lord, my God, help me stay the course and be a faithful serving-man of God. Forgive me for my lack of faith. I cry out to You for help today!

This devotional challenge comes from The Heart of a Lion - King David of Israel and is available on Amazon.com

Perceive: The Philistines continue to be a source of conflict for David and his men, and once again Israel is at war. In these ongoing conflicts, we see four of David’s mighty men become giant killers. The first is Ishbi-benob who had a shiny new sword and intended to use it on David, no doubt for increased fame. Abishai sees the situation and rallies to David’s rescue by killing the Philistine. After this incident, his men did not want David on the front line anymore for fear of his life. David was in midlife, probably in his fifties and may have grown weary of the constant battlefield attacks. Next Sibbecai strikes down Saph; Elhanan strikes down Goliath, and Jonathan strikes down the giant with six fingers and six toes. So, four of David’s men kill four of Goliath’s relatives. Some scholars believe this is why David picked up five stones at the Valley of Elah (1 Samuel 17:40).
 
Practice: Every man needs battle buddies who have his back. In the military, a battle buddy is someone assigned to help you get through tough situations like basic training or combat. Battle buddies do warfare together, they look out for one another, watch each other’s back, and help each other succeed. As serving men of God, we face battles every day. A godly battle buddy should be your nearest and most valuable support during an earthly conflict in or out of combat. Do you have a battle buddy? If not, you should!
 
Pray: O Lord, help me find a battle buddy to help me walk with You in and out of spiritual combat.
​
This devotional challenge comes from The Heart of a Lion - King David of Israel and is available on Amazon.com

Perceive: This section of his story began with David alone and isolated, when he should have been leading his men. It ends with him out of his bed and back in the battle. He confessed his sins, God forgave him, and now he was fit for the fight. After capturing a city, Joab sends for his king to lead the army, or as acting general he will get the glory. David gathers an army, fights at Rabbah, and captures the city. Rabbah was the most important and best-defended Ammonite occupation. After gaining a new crown, gold, and the spoils of war, he consigns his captives to preparing building materials. No doubt he planned on strengthening civilian and military structures throughout Israelite territory by using this workforce.
 
Practice: David is a shining example of how important it is to take periodic inventory of your walk with God. “Therefore, let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” (1 Corinthians 10:12). If you allow your desires to take charge of your life, you will eventually dive into deep sin. Feelings are deceptive. God wants His men to daily seek His face and examine themselves to be sure they are still living in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5).
 
Pray: Great and mighty God, help me seek Your face on a daily basis. Help me evaluate the depth of my faith as I work and live in a broken and dark world. Increase my faith as needed for the tasks You have assigned me to do.
​
This devotional challenge comes from The Heart of a Lion - King David of Israel and is available on Amazon.com

Perceive: True to God’s Word; the Lord struck the child with sickness. In a truly repentant action, David goes before the Lord in a state of utter humility by fasting and praying. He refused to do anything but seek the Lord’s face and pleaded for Him to spare his baby’s life. Seven days later the child dies. Seeing how David was acting, the servants feared he might do something desperate once he learned of the child’s fate. Instead of doing something inappropriate, he gets up, cleans up, and gets filled up. Amazed at his changed behavior, the servants inquire about his reasoning. He hoped God would hear his plea for the baby’s life, but now that the child expires he knows they will reunite in eternity. David comforts his wife, and she conceives a future king.
 
Practice: This sickness resulted from the sin of his adultery and was not part of the punishment he would receive as a consequence. There is always a consequence to deep sins, and unfortunately for David and Bathsheba, God took the baby home very early. After David hears the sad news about his son, he goes home and worships the Lord before he ends his fast. David’s hunger for a renewed relationship with the Lord far exceeded his desire for food and drinks. No one wants to see a child die. If you are going through something this painful, lean into the Lord. Take some time to read the psalms and feel the psalmist pour out his complaints. Psalms 16 and 86 are great places to start.
 
Pray:  Lord, fill me with a hunger for You. Impact my mind, will, and emotions, so they reflect Your presence and power.​

This devotional challenge comes from The Heart of a Lion - King David of Israel and is available on Amazon.com

Perceive: After David acknowledges his sinfulness and want for cleansing, he expresses his need, his concerns, and then makes a renewed commitment to serve God. In the third section, he asks for a clean heart, and a right spirit so others may see and learn (10-13). In the final section, he wants forgiveness for the shedding of innocent blood and promises to sing and praise the Lord (14-17). He recognizes that God wants to see godly men with broken spirits and repentant hearts. It takes repentant leaders to grow His kingdom and to live sacrificial lives in the public as well as in private.
 
Practice: David knew that his heart (meaning his mind, will, and emotions) was the source of his misfortune, as well as the center of his joy and blessing, and he was incapable of fixing his own heart. God was and still is, in the business of changing men’s lives (Jeremiah 24:7; Ezekiel 11:19; 36:25–27). The Lord gave the Holy Spirit to David when Samuel anointed him (1 Samuel 16:13), and He did not want to remove His Spirit as He did with Saul (1 Samuel 16:14). Today the Holy Spirit possesses each believer forever (John 14:15–18). Unfortunately, God’s children can lose sensing His presence by grieving the Spirit (Ephesians 4:30–32), lying to Him (Acts 5:1–3), and quenching Him by willful disobedience (1 Thessalonians 5:19). As you read this, what is the condition of your heart today?
 
Pray: Thank You, Lord, that You promise never to leave me nor forsake me. Help me sense Your presence every day of my life. 
​
This devotional challenge comes from The Heart of a Lion - King David of Israel and is available on Amazon.com

Perceive: David wrote this psalm after Nathan the prophet came and confronted him regarding his deep sins of adultery and murder. In the first section, David appeals to God and confesses his sin (1-4). In the second section, he acknowledges his sinful nature, his need for cleansing, and requests his joy to return (5-9). In verse 7, he mentions hyssop. Hyssop was a shrub like marjoram and thyme used in ritual cleansing. The priest would dip the hyssop and then sprinkle blood or water on people needing traditional cleansing (Lev. 14:4, 6; Num. 19:6, 18; see Ex. 12:22).
 
Practice: God wants all His men to have lives that are right, pure, and godly. In the Old Testament, people and priests used hyssop to cleanse from sin. Most scholars believe the Israelites used hyssop branches to paint the blood of the lamb on their doorposts in the exodus, demonstrating faith in God and their release from slavery. Today’s men of God find their cleansing through the Lamb’s blood in the finished work of Jesus completed on the cross (1 John 1:5–10; Heb. 10:19–25). If you have any hidden sin, now is the time and today is the day to confess and seek the Lord’s forgiveness through the cleansing blood of Christ.
 
Pray: Great and mighty God, please forgive me for my sinfulness and cleanse me from all the times I fail to choose what is right. Help me live the rest of my life in the light of Your Word.
​​
This devotional challenge comes from The Heart of a Lion - King David of Israel and is available on Amazon.com

Perceive: After hearing a confrontation from Nathan the prophet, our fallen hero does not shrink back by defending himself, rather he confesses his guilt and acknowledges his deep sins. Unlike king Saul, king David repents. Although he committed acts worthy of a death sentence (Exodus 21:12; Leviticus 20:10; 24:17; Deuteronomy 22:22), the Lord takes away his sin and spares his life. However, because of David’s utter contempt for obeying the word of God, God would take the child’s life and let him reap the seeds he has sown. After Nathan had finished delivering the Word of the Lord, he went home.
 
Practice: By showing utter contempt for the things of the Lord, David finds himself in the company of men like Eli’s evil sons, who were in the habit of treating the Lord’s offering with contempt (1 Samuel 2:17). This kind of sin was great in the eyes of the Lord.  Unfortunately, the consequences of sin do differ, and some disobedient things reap more negative significance than others. “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7).
 
Pray: O Lord, help me see where I need to stop sowing sinful actions that will reap years of pain.

This devotional challenge comes from The Heart of a Lion - King David of Israel and is available on Amazon.com

Perceive: Most scholars agree that it was about one year later that God sends Nathan the prophet to confront David the king. In a classic word picture, Nathan tells a parable of a poor man's only lamb which is taken away by a rich man for his selfish pleasure. As king, David was responsible for maintaining justice and righteousness in all Israel. After hearing the story, he burned with anger, not realizing he was angry with himself. Nathan seizes the moment and tells him, "You are the man!" and then lays out the consequences. What David did in private, God would display in public, and unfortunately, the sword of the Lord will never leave his home.
 
Practice:  The longer a man goes without realizing he has separated himself from godly fellowship through blatant sin, the more desensitized he becomes to his guilt. Until David’s confrontation by Nathan the prophet, he did not recognize his sinfulness. With this kind of wrongdoing, it is easier to see sin in others than to see it in ourselves. Unrepentant sinfulness leads to a critical spirit of others and a lack of grace. When it comes to spiritual criticism, think about who and what it is that makes you critical. It may be that in criticizing others; you are criticizing yourself!
 
Pray: Great and mighty God, help me see others as You see them and help me see myself in light of Your grace and glory.
​​
This devotional challenge comes from The Heart of a Lion - King David of Israel and is available on Amazon.com