David in Psalm 18:35 wrote, “thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.” David had full recognition of the vast mercies provided by the Lord. The provisions, protection, and empowerments were full contemplations and gentle manifestations of a righteous and sovereign God. As we inspect our own lives, we can see that the Lord’s gentleness has indeed made all the difference.
The gentleness of our God has the attributes of love, grace, mercy as well as judgment. He can exercise each office concurrently while at the same time not neglecting any of the other attributes. Certainly, God would have been justified in allowing the enemies of David to prevail against him as judgment for his indiscretions. He was an adulterer, murderer, and bad father.
Yes, he was punished for the consequences of his sins, but the providence of our Lord had a greater eternal plan for the life of David. His testimony was one of a lowly shepherd boy who was most unlikely to wear the most powerful crown in the world. He was anointed and trained for over ten years before he was fully equipped, however, to reign over the land. The patience of this process exhibited God’s gentleness as David was not thrusted into the position prior to the “fullness of time.”
Chad Napier
