Whenever David attacked an area, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but took sheep and cattle, donkeys and camels, and clothes. Then he returned to Achish. 1 Samuel 27:9
Somehow, I have always pictured David as a wonderfully pleasant man. He wrote songs and poetry. He played the harp. He was known as a man after God's own heart.
In reality, he was far from pleasant. Just ask the Geshurites, the Girizites, and the Amalekites in the areas near Gath... Oh. You can't - because they are dead.
David killed them all!
Lord, for most of my life I have strived to be like David, a man after Your heart. In my mind, I have put him on such a high pedestal, and when I fall short of the impossible standard I have set, I tend to punish myself. How wrong I have been! I am more like David because of my failures - not in spite of them. Jesus is the only perfect man to walk the earth. Forgive me for wallowing in the pain of failure. No matter how deserved I think it may be, punishing myself for forgiven sin shows great disregard for Your sacrifice. Your grace is sufficient - even for the likes of David - even for the likes of me.