Great Lives: David: A Man of Passion and Destiny

In many ways he was a most extraordinary man-intelligent, handsome, abundantly gifted as a poet, musician, warrior, and administrator. David had charisma like no Bible character before him to inspire his people and bring his nation to a pinnacle of strength and glory. Yet in other ways he was a most ordinary man-often gripped by destructive passion, rocked by family chaos and personal tragedy, and motivated by political expediency. How did this very human man become the perennial national hero of God's chosen people? Why is he the one character in the Bible described as a "man after God's own heart?" As Chuck Swindoll points out in this compelling book, David's life offers hope to all of us. It shows how devotion doesn't mean perfection-that God loves us in spite of our weaknesses, and can do extraordinary things through ordinary men and women whose lives are devoted wholly to him. Swindoll does not whitewash David's life: David made big mistakes; he endured devastating troubles, yet he proved faithful to his God and demonstrated that love many times over in an extraordinary life that leaves us an enduring legacy of faith. David is the first of a multi-volume series exploring Great Lives from the Bible and mining them for the qualities that made them great. Chuck Swindoll wants to show us that these great men and women were not great in and of themselves-in fact most of them were humble and ordinary as you and I. They became great when they placed themselves at the Lord's disposal, allowing Him to develop within them the marks of true character: humility, purity, authenticity, and integrity. To live a life God considers "great" is within the reach of everyone who submits to Him.