2 Samuel 23:1-39

The secret of success is something that many men seek to know and understand.  We all want to experience success at some level yet we often fall short of our goals in this area.  David was one of Israel’s most successful kings.  He had many military conquests, overcame tremendous opposition and even though he sinned greatly; he never abandoned the worship of God to run after idols.  David amassed great wealth for the nation and established security that would allow his successor to enjoy the peace that eluded David in his reign.  The nation of Israel was in far better shape when David died than it was when he assumed the throne.  It would be hard to argue against affirming that David was the greatest king in Israel’s history.  How and why was David so successful?  I believe that we find at least two reasons for his success in this chapter.

DAVID WAS DEPENDENT UPON THE LORD: David never became proud in his own accomplishments, but he always recognized that his success was dependent upon the Lord.  He constantly praised the Lord with his songs and psalms.  He lived in fear of the Lord and was well aware of the fact that it was only because of God’s grace that he was allowed to accomplish what he did. He saw himself as an instrument of the Lord and he knew that it was because of God’s gracious covenant with him that he was so blessed by the Lord.  It is important that we always be aware of the fact that we are simply objects of God’s grace and that we are utterly dependent upon Him in all that we do.  The world defines success as being self-reliant or independent, but we must understand that the path to success runs through a humble dependence on the Lord.

DAVID WAS SURROUNDED BY LEADERS: It is impossible for anyone to experience success at the level that David did alone.  David was surrounded by valiant men who were amazing leaders and warriors that accomplished great deeds in support of the nation and their king, David.  There was a group of three men that almost seem superhuman and then another group of thirty men that were incredible leaders too.  These guys took on entire armies single handedly and won.  They defended David and were loyal to him throughout his reign.  Great accomplishments are almost always a result of a team effort.  Certainly that was the case in David’s life.  If we want to attempt great things, we must remember that no one person is capable of doing great things alone.  God created us to function as a part of a body and we must learn to work together as a part of a team under the headship of Christ.