David serves as the preeminent type of God’s overcomer in Scripture. Although he serves God, although he reigns over the most powerful kingdom on earth, although the entire nation of Israel bows to and serves him, including his harem of wives, and even though God promised him a kingdom with no end, his writings characterize him as a man with a broken and contrite spirit. David did not take God or his promises for granted. And when he sinned, he repented, saying

O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
² Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
³ My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord—how long? (Psalm 6:1-3, NKJV)

David fears God. He knows he has done wrong. Did he write this after adultery with Bathsheba, after murdering his friend and her husband, or after committing some other secret sin we know nothing about? He knows he deserves chastening and rebuke. His body is sick. Did God allow or cause this? But David appeals to God’s mercy. He understands, as the Pharisees did not, that God desires mercy and not sacrifice. He knows that in his Savior mercy and justice kiss and so he hopes, even once again, for God’s forgiveness. “I am weak,” he proclaims, and God answers, “When you are weak, then you are strong, for then you depend upon me and not yourself. Yes, I will forgive and heal you again!”

“Thank you,” says David, “but it is more than that. Even my soul is troubled, my very being lies disturbed within this house of flesh. How long, LORD, how long until you save me from this prison of sin and death?” And so says all God’s overcomers even today. Like David we cry

Return, O Lord, deliver me!
Oh, save me for Your mercies’ sake!
⁵ For in death there is no remembrance of You;
In the grave who will give You thanks?

I am weary with my groaning;
All night I make my bed swim;
I drench my couch with my tears.
⁷ My eye wastes away because of grief;
It grows old because of all my enemies.

So, all those with broken and contrite spirits wait upon God even today. We (and I always hope that I will be accounted faithful, but I do not yet count myself as having achieved this coveted Crown of Life), yes we repent when we sin, we continue to seek out God’s way and attempt to live in it, we hunger and thirst for his righteousness, but our eyes waste away and grow old with the grief of this life and the enemies of our souls. I know that I feel like David felt in this psalm… do you? I am comforted to think that this identification with David may be one small sign that I too will be considered a man after God’s own heart! Let it be LORD! And so with David I also say,