“Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth.” 2 Samuel 7:8-9

When you read the account of David in the Bible it is easy to see that he was a man of great accomplishment. From his early days tending his father’s sheep, to his one-on-one fight to the death with Goliath, to his reign as Israel’s King, he showed himself to be a man of action and a man of great ability. He was a brave and mighty fighter; he was a brilliant strategist; he had wisdom and insight; and he was a talented songwriter and musician.

But David never attributed his success to his own innate abilities or to his own efforts. And in the passage above from 2 Samuel 7, God affirms that David’s rise to power and his great success were the result of God-given abilities and God’s guidance. This word of God in the verses above came to David through the prophet Nathan in response to David’s desire to build a temple for the Lord.

Here is David’s response: “Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in your sight, Sovereign Lord, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant—and this decree, Sovereign Lord, is for a mere human!”

David showed humility in his success and he was determined to use his success to honor God. May we, like David, be people with a heart for God, recognizing that our abilities and resources are God-given, and may we always use them to serve and honor Him.

Do you credit your success to God? Are you giving him the glory?