Often times you hear people say that Christianity “is not about a religion, its about a relationship.” When that is said, they are referring to having a personal relationship with Jesus.

And this is good. Because being a Christian is about having a personal relationship with Christ. Examples from the Bible that show this are limitless. (He is our shepherd and we are his sheep. He is our God and we are His people. Adoption. He is our Father. We have come to know Him. He loves us deeply. He knows us intimately. He desires for us to know and understand Him well. The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit. etc. etc.)

Well as I recently read through Second Samuel, I was challenged by David’s ability to speak of God in such a personal way.

If someone was to ask you “Please tell me about your personal relationship with God.” How would you respond? Does your faith have a real personal aspect to it?

Second Samuel 22 begins like this:

“And David spoke to the LORD the words of this song on the day when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.”

So that is the context. What David is about to say next, the song he is about to sing, is based on how God has been working personally in David’s life. The next 3 verses (that is verses 2, 3 & 4) of chapter 22 are David’s song, or response to his personal relationship with God. Notice how personal this sounds.

“The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.”

Wow! What a connection to God that David has! In just three short verses he uses the word “my” ten times in referring to God. God, the God of the Bible, the one and only and true God is David’s God! Now that’s personal!

David says to God, you are:

• my rock
• my fortress
• my deliverer
• my God
• my rock
• my shield
• my salvation
• my stronghold
• my refuge
• my savior

David is able to speak of God in a way that is deeper and more meaningful than mere objective truths about the nature of God. David speaks (or sings) of God in a real and personal way.

No wonder God is able to say that David is “a man after God’s own heart.”

May we be real followers of Christ with a real personal relationship with the LORD like we see from David in 2 Samuel 22.