God loves a cheerful giver.

In 2 Corinthians 9, Paul is talking to the church in Corinth about an offering he is managing for the church in Jerusalem. Paul is collecting funds from various churches and plans to send the money to Jerusalem as soon as the collection is complete.

The Corinthian church has already signed on to participating in the collection, but their giving has been delayed, and Paul reminds them of their promise and encourages them to set aside the funds so that they can be added to the funds already donated by the other churches. It is in this context that Paul makes these comments.

Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 

Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; 

as it is written,

“HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR,

HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER.”

Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; 

you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.

2Corinthians 9: 6-11

You often hear verses from this chapter being used by the prosperity preachers. Let me say from the outset I am not one of them. I am not about to tell you to name it and claim it, or that God will prosper you greatly if you give me $1,000. My journey has been a little bit different to that theology. I have seen people in pain, difficulty and hardship, crying out to God for help on the worst days of their lives. Many do not have enough money to provide their most basic of needs, let alone give an offering to some televangelist who promises them pie in the sky on the basis of a financial transaction.  

For example, I have listened to Kenneth Copeland from time to time make outrageous claims. Telling people that they would not be sick if they have enough faith. Yet his wife who has preached health and well being messages for years, currently has serious health issues that she has stopped all forms of public ministry.  Copeland himself claims that God has told him that he will live to be 120 years old. Yet, at nearly 90 years old, he has heart problems, is slowing down and is showing obvious signs of aging. It’s hard to see that he has another 30 years in him! Health and wellbeing is not a case of avoiding death through faith; your body ages, and parts of your body begin to wear out. A time is coming for all of us to one day stand before Jesus. Death is inevitable.

And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, Hebrews 9:27

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 2Cor. 5:10

So, I do not agree with Copeland and others’ prosperity theology, but I wish them peace and love and happiness in their walk with Jesus, and I trust that even in their misunderstanding of God’s word, they find Jesus and truly follow Him each day.

What God is saying in this chapter has little to do with us getting rich because of some magic formula and has more to do with the keeping a financial commitment the people made to God. So, let’s take a closer look.

Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 

Paul is using a farm illustration here. If you sow a little seed, you get a little crop. He is saying that we need not be afraid of being generous. God will bless us in our generosity, so we need not be afraid to give. But God does not have a scale of blessing where he blesses people some much and some not so much according to the amount they give. He blesses a person who has a generous heart. If we have an open heart to God and His concern for the needs of others, we are more likely to do the things that God would have us do. Remember, God also has an open heart towards us, not just the poor.

God blesses so that we can give to others from our abundance. One person may be able to give much, others just a widow’s mite, but both amounts are the same; they are out of our abundance. 

The reason God loves a cheerful giver is that He also is a cheerful giver; we can see this in the Scriptures.

In Isa 53:10 it says that God was please to crush Jesus 

But the LORD was pleased

To crush Him, putting Him to grief;

If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,

He will see His offspring,

He will prolong His days,

And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.

The word crush here can also mean contrite which basically means to crush to dust. The talcum powder you use in the bathroom was once rock (Talcum Stone) that has been contrited to dust. The Father was glad, happy and pleased to sacrifice Jesus in order to save us from Hell and to have us live with Him forever.

Another Scripture is John 3:16 - 17

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” John 3:16-17

This has got the word glad written all over it. God was glad to send His Son; He was glad that those who believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. But did the Father force Jesus to come and to save us, against His will? Was Jesus grumpy about losing his life for a bunch of dirty sinners? Not so, Jesus says in John 10:17-18

For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.” John 10:17-18

There is no hint of grumpiness in these verses. Jesus gladly gave His life for us; He could have said no, but he didn’t. No one took His life from Him; He gave it up gladly, voluntarily, without remorse or regret. Oh, how I love Jesus, because He first loved me.

We could go on and talk about the joy and the abundance of creation, but I think you see the point.

Cheerful giving is giving in the same way that God does. He gives, deliberately, specifically, and gladly to us every day. We should do the same.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; 

It is by the grace of God that we can do what we do. Our family, our work, our pursuit of leisure activities, our learning, our health, our life of worship and Christian community are all expressions of the grace to us. Out of the abundance of these, we can give generously back to God and to others. It’s not all about money. If it were just money, there would be an easy formula: give so much every week, and you have done your bit! But it is so much more than money; it’s time, it’s relationships, it’s providing opportunity to those who need it, mentoring those who lack it, caring for those who cannot look after themselves. When it came to our salvation, God acted personally; it cost Him. He sent His Son. Jesus was God incarnate. When we look into His eyes, we see God’s eyes. When we hear His words, we hear God’s words. God wants us not just to give our money, but also to give our time and engage with the lost world, like He did!

Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; 

The way we sow a harvest of righteousness is to follow Jesus every day. And through God’s blessing on multiple levels, we are able to be a blessing to others on multiple levels. I led a ministry to the poor for more than 20 years and never drew a wage. There were a few people who donated to my wife and I to help us along the way, but in more than 20 years I did not draw a wage. 

One day I received notification from the peak body organisation that set reporting standards for many of the organisations in our sector that we now needed to keep records of our volunteer hours. There was a schedule provided, and different classes of volunteers were given various values as part of a scale. For instance, a gardener who gave 10 hours of gardening time, according to the scale, was costed at a lower rate than a surgeon who gave 10 hours of surgical time to the organisation. 

When I put in my personal volunteer time and multiplied the number of hours I was working by what the scale said my hours were valued at, I was shocked to see that, according to the scale, I was donating more than $100,000 to the organisation every year. This scale was able to put a dollar value on the volunteer hours I was giving. The fact that my donated time had a dollar value, had never previously occurred to me. 

But it’s not all about money; your time invested in people is never wasted; it has a value that exceeds a dollar sign. Time invested in people is love in action, it builds hope and helps repair lives. Sure, you could be working when you are giving your time, but the dollar is not not the driving force, it is the personal impact that you bring into any situation. God is the one who is our Creator and generally speaking, He made us to respond better to time invested than money given. Of course there are times when money given pays bills, and reduces stress, but the relational impact of the relationship behind that giving cannot be under estimated. When it came to God helping us, He personally invested His time. He sent His dear Son, into the world to save it. 

So, sure, give money as you can, but also give of yourself; it’s part of the abundance that God has given you.

you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.

God is setting us up to be generous, and generous giving not only helps those who are in need but helps us as well. We need to be connected to others, and LOVE is often spelled T.I.M.E. If we are going to love God with all of our heart and love our neighbour as ourselves, it is going to cost us time and money. Time and money invested in your church and time and money invested in others. The result of being a cheerful giver is not a grumpy heart, but a heart filled with thanksgiving for the privilege of learning to be more like Him.

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Luke 6:36

The legacy of Robin Wales

My friend, Robin Wales, died the other day; he was 96 years old! Robin was a greatly loved and highly respected man who cast a huge positive shadow over many nations in the world. Robin presented as who he was: kind, humble, unassuming, with kind eyes and a generous smile. If you passed him in the street, you would never have known the reality of his true stature.

Robin was born a Kiwi and was a medical scientist. He was very thorough in his work, and people respected his competence and opinions. He worked hard at his job and did well. Working in New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Australia. When he retired, he and his wife Gaylene ended up in Davao City in the Philippines as medical missionaries. After their return to Australia. Gaylene died, and Robin spent nearly 20 years working for Australian Mercy on its projects in and around the Thai/Burmese border. He later travelled to many remote areas of Burma, doing Malaria education and primary healthcare training. His was a very full and well-lived life.

Robin's family was very important to him. He loved and cherished them all. He was always a friend to anyone who needed one, and always had a kind word to say.

I worked with Robin Wales for over 20 years and learned a lot from him, and not just about medical stuff like Malaria. 

Legacy

When we think about a person's life, I guess we ask: what was their legacy? By Robin's legacy, the enduring impact his life had even after his death.

Robin was a man who was convinced that everyone deserved to have a solid basic standard of healthcare, and everyone deserved to hear the Gospel. He saw that he had skills that could help people live healthier lives and used those skills for as long as he was able.  He also had a fun sense of humour.

People felt very relaxed around Robin; he never pushed himself forward but, in conversation, always had something thoughtful to say or contribute. Medical professionals working on the mission field loved to engage with him. One British GP used to volunteer just to drive around when he was on the Thai/Burmese border, just to have focused time to engage with him. Another Italian Dr working in Thailand praised his approachability, kindness and knowledge.

He was a friend to everyone, both great and small.

In Burma, there was a man named Saw Marcus Winn. Saw Marcus was an entomologist who specialised in Malaria. He was perhaps Myanmar’s foremost malaria expert. When Robin started travelling in Burma, he met Saw Marcus, and they hit it off like wildfire; both were scientists, both carried a burden for the impact malaria was having in poorer communities, and both liked to sit down with a cold beer in hand and talk about malaria.

One time we were in Mandalay preparing to fly to a remote part of Burma for malaria training. I could hear muffled laughter in the hallway going past my door. The next thing, my phone rang; it was Saw Marcus. Could we have an urgent meeting in his room in 5 minutes to talk about some technical problems with the coming seminar? When I knocked on Saw Marcus' door, there was Robin and another team member grinning like Cheshire cats as Saw Marcus invited me in. Suddenly, Robin opened the fridge and started handing out the chilled beer that they had bought. There were no technical problems, just a friendly beer among friends and a chat about the latest malaria data from the WHO; it was fun and relaxed and very informative. We had many meetings like this over the years, mainly instigated by Robin and Saw Marcus. 

Robin was quite old when he travelled with us, but he was bright as a button and agile of foot. He would occasionally take a nap to "recharge his batteries", but he was keen to do all he could do during the day. 

One time, we were at Mae La Refugee Camp, preparing to load the truck and return to Mae Sot. Robin turned to me and said that he would find his own way home. He needed to catch the "line car". He would see us in Mae Sot for dinner. Line cars are vehicles that travel up and down the border area, they cost about 50 cents per section and you can get on and off pretty well where you like. Robin, was concerned about a family he knew who lived in a village nearby. I offered to drive him, but he was insistant. Later that night Robin was at our usual restaraunt. I asked him how the family he visited were, and said thay were in a hard place, but he had been able to pray for them and give them a little money. That was Robin through and through.

Robin and I shared stories and prayed for each other on these trips. He was kind of like the dad I never had, and I was like an adopted son he'd picked up along the way. It was a great relationship which strengthened us both. 

Buzz Off

Buzz Off was the Malaria Campaign that Robin and I started one night over a cup of tea. We had been training Health Care Workers on the Thai/Burmese Border and were having a cuppa whilst the sun was setting, and Robin was talking about the deep burden he was carrying about malaria epsecially in the border region. I was sharing about a health study I had recently seen that the was done in IDP communities inside Burma where they found that 22% of children under the age of 5 would be dead from mosquito borne diseases. Suddenly I said, "why don’t we start a malaria campaign and call it Buzz Off!" We both stood there stunned by the words that had just fallen out of my mouth, we looked at each other and on that night the initial phases of Buzz Off began to form in our heads. Within 2 weeks of our return to Australia, Buzz Off was borne, it had a logo it had a web site even though the vision was still forming. Within 3 months we had funding and were away.

Buzz Off was an international effort and our tream came from Australia, the Netherlands, the UK, Burma, Switzerland, Canada, New Zealand and the US. Robin was in his element. Our finding Saw Marcus and later another entomologist named Mr Maung Maung Win, were instrumental in growing the campaign. (We called Saw Marcus and Mr Win the WIn brothers.) Another key pillar to the work inside Burma was Pastor Myint Nwe and his family. Together this team travelled through out remote Burma taking the Gospel and the message about malaria and mosquitoes into hundreds of communities. The numbers of people whose lives were being affected was in the thousands. In Mandalay we had another another team member join us. Dr Marlar Than, a former head of the department of Health in Yangon, and Chair of the Anglican Church's Medical committee. Through Buzz Off we trained thousands of Christian malaria workers. Distributed thousands of LLIN mosquito nets and supported the work of dozens of malaria clinics in remote areas. Much of this was done under the guidance of Robin Wales.

So when we talk about Robin's legacy the number of people who were directly impacted by his life is in the many many thousands. Buzz Off is still going and has been extended into other parts of Asia and in to Africa, and will include many other countries as the years march on.

The families who were affected by Robin's kindness were many. The refugees at Mae La loved him. One time they found out that he was visiting the camp on his birthday. So they arranged a cake for him and had him carried up the hill to the birthday party, as a sign of respect and love for him.

He was a gentle man who impacted many.

I do not think I have met anyone quite like Robin Wales. He was a one in a million kind of person who had a very positive affect on your life

I nominated Robin for the Order of Australia Medal because of the incredible work he did with Buzz Off but there was far much more that he also did that is not part of this story. There are the years in PNG, there were the years in he and Gaylene were in the Philippines. Together they raised a family. Robin Wales had a very full life, and now he is with Jesus, the one person he loved above all others.

I give thanks to God for the life of Robin Wales, and I am sure many who never met him, do the same.

Christa Gail Pike

 Background 

Christa Gail Pike is a convicted murderer. She and two others were responsible for the horrendous murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer in 1995. (Pictured below.)

Pike never denied her part in the murder and readily confessed to her crime when she was arrested. Her accomplices, Tadaryl Shipp and Shadolla Peterson, were sentenced to life without parole and 4 years' probation, respectively. Pike was sentenced to death. She was 18 years old when she committed the murder and 20 years old when she was sentenced to death. 

Pike came from a very troubled background; it seems she was raped as a child on several occasions. During her trial, her lawyer offered little mention of any mitigating circumstances, such as her being a victim of child sexual abuse, to the jury. Her current lawyers have been basing much of her recent appeals on this oversight and have pushed the idea that if the jury knew of her troubled background, she would have been sentenced to life in prison. 

In 2001, Pike tried to strangle fellow prisoner Patricia Jones and was given 25 additional years to serve concurrently with her death sentence as a consequence. She has been on death row for 30 years, while her appeals have been processed through the courts. 

The execution

On September 30, 2026, the state of Tennessee tried to execute Pike. After one dose of lethal drugs was administered, Pike was still alive and well and talking to the guards in the execution chamber; a second dose was administered, and although she passed into an unconscious state, she continued to breathe. Her lawyers immediately lodged an application in federal court to have the execution stopped and for medical aid to be rendered to Pike to save her life. This injunction was issued, and Pike was taken to hospital in an ambulance, where she remains at the time of writing this article.

Pike had insisted that death by lethal injection may be difficult to achieve in her case as she suffers from a medical condition that makes it difficult for her to have bloods taken, or intravenous injections given. It would seem that the results of her attempted execution would confirm this. 

A divisive issue

Capital punishment in the US is a divisive issue; some insist that it stops people from offending, others insist that crime statistics do not support that point of view. The 8th Amendment to the US Constitution requires that capital punishment not be applied in a cruel and unusual way and that it cannot be applied in an arbitrary or barbaric way. 

Since the failure of Christa Pike’s execution, the headlines have been fast and furious. An inquiry has been ordered; allegations of the use of out-of-date drugs and incompetent execution staff are all being bantered about, people are running for cover, and the State of Tennessee is in a very awkward position. 

Justice

One headline that drew my attention had to do with the failed execution bringing no justice to Colleen Slemmer’s family. Colleen Slemmer’s mother was quoted as saying, “It is an eye for an eye and Christa Pike needs to die, because she killed Colleen”.

It might surprise some to know that I support the death penalty, not for an eye for an eye, but from a philosophical perspective. I do not think every murderer should necessarily be executed, but the law must have an absolute standard, something where it has the ultimate power to take away someone’s life for a horrendous crime. Long and extra-long jail sentences sometimes are not enough. At one time, a life sentence was for life; then it was shortened to 25 years. Now they have life, which is still about 25 years and life without the possibility of parole, which is the old "life". God has an absolute: the wages of sin is death. It is not the wages of some sins for which there will be a short detention followed by eternal life. So, I support the death penalty philosophically; however, I think we have to be wise in how we use it. An eye for an eye is not what Jesus said we should do; He said we were to love our neighbour and do good to those who are our enemies and oppressors. Matt 5:38-48

One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, 

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 

And He said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.

’ This is the great and foremost commandment. 

The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ 

On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” 

Matt. 22:35-40

Love your enemies. 

There is no doubt some cases, the death penalty applies. If Hitler had lived, do you think he would have been executed for his crimes, or, like Napoleon, be sent to the Island of St Helena to live out his days in exile? I think He would have been executed. However, even Hitler would have been cared for whilst in jail. Saddam Hussein, when he was caught, was taken to jail and was given a full medical examination by US Army doctors, not just left to rot in a cell. The reason, because we love our enemies.

We carry out death sentences with care and respect because we love our enemies and do good to those who do bad things to the members of our family and us. The reason prisoners have healthy meals and health care in jail is also because we love our enemies. The reason we do not apply the death penalty in a cruel or unusual way is also that we love our enemies.

There have been numerous occurrences of parents whose children have been murdered, contacting the murderer, forgiving them, visiting them in jail, and actively campaigning for their eventual release and helping with their rehabilitation. I think this is what Jesus is talking about. 

Where is God in this?

Back to Christa Pike. While many are playing the blame game and pointing the finger, I think we all need to take a step back and look at the situation in a new light. Christa Pike is a professing Buddhist; on that execution gurney, she was a few minutes away from going to Hell. Is it not possible that God had a hand in both doses of execution drugs failing because He wanted to give Christa Pike more time to repent and believe the Gospel? Could the failure of the execution be a merciful act of God to an undeserving sinner?! (Sound familiar?)

It is unknown at this point whether they will try to execute Christa Pike again. Her physical state is not known. She may have received brain or other physical damage from the execution drugs. Some would argue based on the failed execution that to try again would be cruel and unusual punishment. There will be a lot of legal filings in the weeks and years to come. 

Coleen Slemmer’s family are demanding justice and believe that Pike’s execution is the only way they will see justice done. But Justice is not retribution or vengeance; it is a punishment that matches the crime once all the facts are considered. 

We get too tangled up when we seek revenge. It becomes an emotional issue, and strong emotions against another person are a recipe for unwise decisions and actions. That is why God says, don’t do it! 

If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. 

Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. 

“BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.” 

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:18-21

Perhaps Coleen Slemmer’s family can take comfort that Pike has been in jail for 30 years. She has not been able to have a career, a marriage, a family, or a holiday. She has been confined to a small cell for most of her waking hours. She cannot shop for clothes, and she can only wear a prison uniform. She continues to suffer daily for her crime, and probably will continue to do so until the day she dies. All of these consequences are just for her because of her crimes. 

Those who have known her in prison say that she has become a kind and caring person, so despite her horrendous crimes, Pike seems to have had some change in herself. She just needs to know Jesus. I am praying for Christa Pike that she will meet her saviour before she dies and have her sins forgiven. I’m praying too for Coleen Slemmer’s family, that they would receive the Father’s comfort and be able to move on. Unforgiveness unchecked can lead to bitterness. Hebrews 12:15  Forgiveness will free them into their future. Although their daughter is dead, they will be able to live again.

Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 

And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 

When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 

The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’  Matt. 25:37-40 

Two Kings

Saul

In the Old Testament, we are told of the two lines of Kings that ruled over Israel. Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin, and David was from the tribe of Judah.

Saul’s appointment is curious, as it was prophesied in Genesis 49:10 that the line of Kings would come from the tribe of Judah. That perhaps is the subject best left for another day.

Saul seemed a humble man at first. The record of his anointing and selection is found in 1Sam. 10.

Saul became a great leader and won significant battles, but it all came undone when he trusted his own gut and feared a drop in popularity rather than obey God. 

The first signs that Saul was unstable as a leader was when he stepped into the role that only a priest could do, and in order to bring order in the military ranks, he offered a sacrifice that Samuel was supposed to offer. When Samuel arrived, this is what he said to Saul.

Samuel said to Saul, “You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, for now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 

But now your kingdom shall not endure. The LORD has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.” 1Sam 13:13-14

Later on, God told Saul to obliterate Amalek and to leave nothing. Saul and the people allowed the king of Amalek to live and kept the best of the sheep and cattle. Saul did not obey, and God rejected Saul because of his disobedience and sent Samuel to him to let him know he was fired. After beating Amalek, Saul had got busy and set up a monument to himself. 

When Saul eventually hears what Samuel has to say, he protests his innocence of wrongdoing, to which Samuel replies,

“What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” 1Sam 15:14

Samuel refuses to take responsibility for his actions and blames the people. To which Samuel replies, 

“Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices

As in obeying the voice of the LORD?

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,

And to heed than the fat of rams.

“For rebellion is as the sin of divination,

And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry.

Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,

He has also rejected you from being king.” 1Sam 15:22-23.

Only then does Saul admit he has sinned, and after tearing Samuel’s garment then insists that Samuel still publicly honour him by accompanying him to the ceremony they are about to have. He wanted Samuel to pretend nothing was wrong.

So, Saul was a man who interpreted the word of the Lord through his gut instinct, which led to partial obedience, which is never acceptable to God. He built memorials to himself and demanded personal loyalty from those around him, and wanted public honour even when he was wrong. In the Bible, there is no record of Saul being deeply repentant of his sins.

David

David was Saul’s replacement. He was from the tribe of Judah and was selected and anointed as King in Bethlehem whilst he was still a young shepherd. God described him as a man after His own heart in 1Sam. 13:14.

The record of David’s selection and anointing is found in 1Sam 16:12-14

David, although only young, was the man God sought to be king. At the time, Samuel looked through David’s brothers, seeking a new king. Saul noted their height and strength, but God told Samuel,

“Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1Sam 16:7

David’s journey to the throne room was long and arduous, but he never lost sight of the fact that Saul was the anointed King and God would have to take him off the throne before David could rule.

We should be mindful that David was probably about 15 years old when he was anointed, and 30 years old when he became king. So there were 15 years of Saul's poor leadership before God allowed the changeover. Although the spiritual anointing was lifted from Saul and rested on David at the time of David’s anointing,  there was still a journey to be had before temporal reality lined up with spiritual reality. David did not push the point; he waited for God.

Once in power, David had many great victories, but built no monuments to himself.

God saw in David a man who had a heart after Him. When David became King, he was far from perfect, and he made major mistakes and sinned greatly. The most obvious being the affair with Bathsheba, his friend's wife. She fell pregnant, and David tried to cover things up by killing her husband and quickly marrying her, ostensibly to raise up children in his friend's memory. But God saw everything and sent Nathan the prophet to confront David. David acknowledged his sin. God judged him, and the result was the death of the child and the later rebellion of Absalom. David’s repentant response was recorded in Psalm 51.

So David sought the Lord, acknowledged his sin, repented deeply, sought no monument or personal recognition and did not demand personal honouring or loyalty. 

There was also the issue of the census he took in 2Samuel 24.

History remembers David’s reign in a much better light than Saul’s. Saul’s fear of man, his "go with my gut" approach, and his demand for honour and loyalty were his undoing because they took him away from doing what God specifically asked him to do. Any good that he did was overwhelmed by his disobedience to the word of the Lord and his later reliance on the occult to try to hear the word of the Lord. (1Sam. 28:7-10) David is remembered not for his sins, but for the way he retreated to God and confessed his sins when he strayed from God’s path.

How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,

Whose sin is covered!

How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity,

And in whose spirit there is no deceit!

When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away

Through my groaning all day long.

For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;

My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer.

Selah.

I acknowledged my sin to You,

And my iniquity I did not hide;

I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD”;

And You forgave the guilt of my sin.

Selah. Psalm 32:1-5

Our governance

Today our governance is elected; it does not come by birthright. We choose or re- choose our ruler every few years. Paul writes in Romans 13:1

Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Romans 13:1

So, when our selection, or re-selection, of a leader happens in an election, we need to trust that God, who is greater than any leader of any government, is still in control. Even if the person elected is not the one we voted for. Rebellion is not God’s way of doing things. We can re-choose in a few years' time. Lies and baseless accusations are also not God’s way of doing things. It is how the devil operates; it’s the way the devil used to get Jesus a death sentence, and the devil, according to Jesus, is a liar and the father of all lies. (John 8:44)

We should not be reactionary to political propaganda but rather be looking to God and seeking his will in the situation. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount. 

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matt.6:33-34

However, all this being said, I think we can say any nation’s leaders can have a tendency to be like Saul or be like David. If you were to look at your nation's leader, how would you rank them as a Saul or a David?