II Samuel 19-24

“You, LORD, are my lamp; the LORD turns my darkness into light” (22:29). David’s songs (this one recorded in Psalm 18) express what he learned through his failures and troubles: when we cry out for help, the Lord turns our darkness into light. When David was drowning in sin and despair, he said: the Lord “reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters; he rescued me” (22:17). David was not ashamed to admit his fear and his need for God.

David’s life and songs teach us to lean on the Lord, not ourselves. “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge” (22:1-3).