Scripture Reading: 2 Samuel 20:1-26, 2 Samuel 21:1-22, 2 Samuel 22:1-51, Psalm 89:29-33, Revelation 20:11-15
Chronologically speaking, David’s Song of Thanksgiving recorded in 2 Samuel 22 belongs earlier in David’s story, closer to the beginning of the book. David probably wrote this before he was king, around the time he had been saved from Saul and realized his place on the throne was eminent.
David was in for an eventful forty-year kingship, filled with many highs and many lows. To name a few—
High: David is crowned king of Israel.
High: He moves the capital of Israel to Jerusalem.
Low: He commits adultery with Bathsheba and has Bathsheba’s husband killed.
Low: David and Bathsheba’s son dies as a consequence of David’s sin.
High: God forgives David for his adultery and blesses him with his son Solomon.
Low: His son Absalom kills his other son Amnon to avenge the rape of Absalom’s sister Tamar.
Low: Absalom tries to take the kingdom of Israel from him.
High: David’s men defeat Absalom’s men and the kingdom is restored to him.
Low: Absalom is killed in battle.
David’s problems did not end with Saul. A rollercoaster of war, death, family rivalry, and suffering would mark his days. And as his circumstances changed, so did his character. Faithful one minute, unfaithful the next. God’s character, however, did not change. He was David’s rock during a lifetime of shifting sand.
Throughout the Song of Thanksgiving, David describes God with adjectives and metaphors of strength and consistency:
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, my deliverer” (v.2).
“My shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold, my refuge” (v.3).
“… the Lord was my support” (v.19).
“And who is a rock? Only our God” (v. 32).
“The Lord lives—blessed be my rock!” (v. 47).
If you were to write down your life’s list of highs and lows, it may not be as dramatic as David’s, but I’ll bet it’s just as inconsistent. Suffering, hope, despair, joy—our circumstances are constantly changing and with them, our hearts. Faithful today, unfaithful tomorrow. But just as God intervened in David’s life and pulled him out of deep waters (2 Samuel 22:17), so did He intervene in our lives by sending Jesus Christ, who entered this world to save us from the dark waters of sin. Christ is now the rock on which we stand. The winds will change and they will change us, but His faithfulness to us will not.
I like that the writer of 2 Samuel placed David’s Song of Thanksgiving at the end of the book. The words were true before David’s forty-year reign, and they were true after it. David’s change in circumstances did not signify a change in God’s character. I wonder how often he went back to the words he wrote on that day of thanksgiving. I wonder if, in his darkest nights, he clung to what he knew to be true of God then, even if it didn’t feel true in the present moment.
What aspects of God’s character did you sing yesterday that you need to remember today? In the midst of life’s changing waters, we can be sure that we have been pulled out of the depths. That is a consistent truth.
Let’s be thankful today that our character and circumstances do not change who God is or what Jesus did. As we move through life’s highs and lows, we worship a God who is the same, all the time, even when we are not. He will not take His love from us, and He will never betray His faithfulness. Thanks be to God.
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35 thoughts on "David’s Song of Thanksgiving"
At my lowest He was all I had…
At my highest He is my constant…
At my waking and as I sleep me meets me in those places.
I find rest at His feet. He renews my spirit always.
He is my everything.
Amen!
Amen!
David’s song reminded me of that hymn Solid Rock:
“My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
All other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand…”
My heart is exploding in song this morning ❤
Oh wow Tochi, I was about to post that – we sing it a lot at the moment. here is the rest of it:
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
2
When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
3
His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.
4
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
In Him, my righteousness, alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
My husband and I just moved to Houston a little over a month ago. It was a time for new beginnings for us as we began to plan for buying a house, starting a family, finding a church. And then Harvey hit Houston. We are safe and dry, but there is almost a guilt that comes with that as we’ve seen so many friends and family evacuated with the knowledge that they will return to the destruction of their homes. The sun is out, the waters are receding, but now we only begin to see the true level of devastation. And yet, I have never seen the Church so clearly portray the truth that David gave us in 2 Sam. 22:32: “For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?” You catch glimpses of it on the news, but here, in Houston, the sense of it is overwhelming. In the midst of tragedy, there is a steady song of hope echoed out among the people. Please pray for us as the Church here in Houston, that we would come together to deliver people to safety and also to Jesus!
Houston is heavy on our hearts. Our family suffered similarly in Staten Island, NY during & after hurricane Sandy. Our house stood on higher ground. Though we suffered damage & were without many things like power & gas for quite a while, we did not lose it all. However, we helped many family & friends who lost everything. We even lost loved ones. It was a time of great sadness, but God performed many miracles as so many came together & many traveled from far away to help. Even four years after, many still are struggling to regain what they lost. We are praying for you & doing what we can to send help. New York is praying for Houston. Our God is able to perform miracles for you.
Dear CC, As I have watched the news from here in New Jersey, I have seen the Lord clearly at work in the people of Texas. The news media doesn’t need to say His name. Jesus is being proclaimed in countless acts of selflessness. My heart is breaking, but at the same time blessed. God is alive and well and living in His people!
Thank you for sharing your testimony. Praying for Texas and its citizens.
Hi CC, thank you so much for sharing these beautiful thoughts. You all continue to be in the thoughts and prayers of our team. We are praying for provision, restoration, and that God would be glorified in the midst of all this. We are so glad to have you as a part of the SRT community! – Abby, The SRT Team
So thankful for David’s song of thanksgiving. I really needed this today. May I never forget his faithfulness to me in the highs and lows. I change moment by moment, but he is always the same. He loves me no matter what!
This verse (2 Samuel 22:17) is obviously for all the flood victims in Texas. Praying for all those affected that God would reach down from on high and take hold of you… that he would pull you out of deep water. Praying that afterward you would be singing your own song of deliverance… that you would know for sure that God is your rock, your fortress, your deliverer, your shield, your stronghold, your refuge, your savior. Praying that your life would forever after reflect your great God and others would know him as a result. Stay strong, Texas.
Amen!
Amen!!
Funny how I thought of them too. Prayers of strength during this time.
I love how at the beginning of David’s story, he is the only one who believes that the battle is the Lord while Israel cowers in fear in the presence of Goliath, but by the end of 40 years under his leadership, it seems that believing the Lord to kill the giants is just second nature for his men. They step up in faith, even in a moment when David is too weak and weary to rally them — an indicator of David’s legacy of godly leadership.
Great point!
Love this insight!
Grateful for my Rock and Redeemer. Faithful is He!
Oh yes, there is shifting sand all around me. I can be prone to step out into it, testing to see if it will bear my weight and the regret is nearly immediate. I am only safe when I stand on the Rock that rises above the sand. As long as I keep my feet firmly planted there, I can withstand whatever the strong winds bring. Oh the winds can be of hurricane strength. I’m tempted to seek shelter elsewhere. Experience has taught me that other shelter is all illusion. The Rock alone faithfully provides safety and security. No other shelter than Jesus. The only firm foundation is the Word of God. The winds may calm and the sand look peaceful. I know I dare not make a move for quicksand is underneath, seeking to pull me under until I die. On peaceful days, I rest on the Rock. And when the winds howl, I cling to the Rock. And I live. The Rock is immovable. It is unshakeable. It is the true shelter. Faithful and true. I close my eyes and sleep in peace, safe and secure. I awake and rejoice with gratitude. I stand. The Rock will not let me go. Life is good. I hear the wind at my back but I do not fear. Oh and there is always room on the Rock. There’s always room. Come on up.
Oh how I needed to hear this today. Thank you churchmouse.
Wow! That is beautiful! Thank you for sharing that wisdom!
Beautiful
❤️
So beautiful! Thank you!
Thank you- you spoke directly into my heart. ❤️