The Heart of David

I have a brother that is walking out the path David chose to take when Saul was literally after his life. The brother I write of today is Michael. He is a godly man and has served in the church most of his adult life. He doesn’t just show up, he actually gives 98% of his non-working time to actively serving God and his church family. He works with kids in the Royal Ranger program and is also the Commander that goes around helping other churches get the program started in their church. Nearly every weekend he is leading, teaching and inspiring kids and their parents. Countless hours are spent in preparation, execution and successful completion of the endless campouts, pinewood derbies, authentic reenactments, wilderness training, fishing trips, color guard training, and many more activities. He is also involved in a new program that takes non-believing men on wilderness campouts where they simply and with love share the heart of God.

Michael lives on the Gulf Coast and makes a point of staying in town to keep the church open for people that do not have a place to go when a hurricane heads their way. The first time he did that I spent the night watching TV for any news of their area and situation. I had begged him to come and stay with us for the duration of the storm. Growing up on the coast you develop a healthy respect for the power and intensity of a hurricane. I spent the night it arrived in prayer for my brother’s life and safety. He slept through it! His comment was that if God was to take him home during that storm what better place to leave from than church! Little brother taught me a lesson in all that. The next hurricane I prayed and went to bed. He and the church were still standing when the storm moved on.

At this time Michael is facing a trial of David and Saul proportions. His pastor has confronted him regarding tithing. Michael is a man of little financial means. His income rarely covers the necessities of life and he is still supporting a teenage daughter. His pastor confronted him several different times because he is unable to tithe regularly. In a recent conversation his pastor stripped him of his official duties in the Royal Ranger program in that church saying he had to step down until he could show he would tithe regularly and consistently. He is fully aware of Michael’s financial position. At the time his pastor made this declaration, Michael was on off work for a total of three months because of surgery that took bones out of his wrist. Basically, he was kicked while being down. His involvement with the kids is his ministry. Michael has tithed his time, his service, his love of God in training up these kids, yet it seems that years of service has little value to his pastor if he doesn’t give money. All these weeks following his dismissal, Michael continues to perform his duties because he had events planned and in motion with those kids and he said he was not going to disappoint them. He shows up to teach his classes every week. No one has stepped up to take his place. He has said nothing about any of this to the people within the church. Word is leaking out now about the situation, as word often does. Other churches want him. His pastor ignores him, not even speaking to him. I witnessed this myself this past weekend.

I asked my brother why he stays. He said that God showed him he was to treat his pastor as David did Saul when he had an opportunity to kill him in his sleep. God dealt with Saul and God will deal with the pastor. Saul tried to kill David many times, chased after him, had a bounty on his life, yet David did not harm him when opportunity came around. Michael has continued to seek God throughout the painful situation with the pastor. He chooses to be a man after God’s own heart like David as he deals with his own Saul, the pastor.

We all face our own versions of Saul in his sick and descending days. We all have enemies that come after us, chasing us, trying to beat us down and turn others against us. David had fear, yet he continued to seek God. David suffered greatly and was dishonored in the eyes of his countrymen, yet he continued to seek God. David kept his eyes on God. Michael has suffered more than he will admit as his pastor turned against him, yet he raises not a word against him because he keeps his eyes on God. My little brother is saddened by the loss of the friendship he had with his pastor but his resolve to stand faithful to the calling and to God’s direction gives him strength and conviction. I am filled with admiration and proud to call him my brother; both in the natural and in Christ!

As we face the Saul’s in our lives I pray we, too, can be people after God’s own heart and deal with our situations with honor, prayer and integrity. It is a timeless lesson in faithfulness and seeking God.