Learning to Desire the Giver, Not Just the Gift

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Audio: https://youtu.be/PHUY6z9lYwQ?si=IczAQ-US7ceAPhBN

When I first said, “I want to be like David,” I didn’t fully understand what I was asking. I admired his victories, his intimacy with God, his strength as a king. I saw the beauty of the outcome, but I hadn’t yet grasped the depth of the journey.


David lived a life deeply surrendered to the Lord. That is why God delighted in him.


His heart was aligned with God’s. He was righteous and obedient. He meditated on the Word, praised God with all his heart, prayed earnestly, trusted completely, and acknowledged that every ounce of strength came from the Lord. He remained teachable and walked closely with God.


David’s wisdom showed in how he endured suffering: betrayal, threats, persecution, and deep sorrow. At the heart of that wisdom was humility, a quiet trust that didn’t need to prove anything, only to follow.


Now I find myself asking: do I still want to be like David?  And if I do, will I also walk wisely through the trials? Will I seek the Lord when everything is stripped away?


The truth is, I wanted what God gave David. I longed for the victories, the favor, the protection, and the honor. I didn’t realize I had been longing for the gifts more than the Giver.


For days, I’ve been listening, reading, studying, and meditating on 2 Samuel 22 until it settled deeper. It is true that God blessed David in countless ways. But what stood out was that David didn’t stop at receiving. He pressed in to know God and to experience His fellowship.  He knew the heart of God.  Not just His power. Not just His provision.

But God Himself.


I used to memorize the attributes of God so I could praise Him in different ways. That may be a good practice. But David’s praise was something more. His words came from real encounters. He didn’t just know what God was like. He knew who God was through the fires, through the caves, through the tears. God was with him.


David called God his rock, his fortress, his deliverer.  His shield, the horn of his salvation, his high tower, his refuge, his Savior.  His strength, his peace, his justice, his mercy.  These were not just poetic words. They were lived truths.


There is something more precious than receiving help from God. It is knowing the heart of the One who helps. The Almighty opens His heart to those who draw near. That closeness is greater than all the victories this world can offer.


Philippians 3:10–11

“That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings…”


We often treat prayer like a transaction. We come, like Aladdin to a genie, hoping for wishes to be granted. But God invites us into something far richer. Through prayer, we are welcomed into relationship.


Imagine the most brilliant, wealthy, powerful person in the world inviting you into personal friendship. Wouldn’t we be awed, humbled, and delighted? Now realize this. The Creator of the universe is waiting to meet with you.  Why don’t we carry that same sense of wonder when He calls us?

This is something I’m still learning, slowly. I pray for grace not merely to long for His blessings and answered prayers, but to long for Him and His fellowship—the way David did, the way we were created to.  I will remind myself that every trial is an invitation to draw closer to my Savior, to know Him more deeply, and to walk with Him in a more intimate way. This is not just about enduring hardship. It is about discovering the heart of God in the midst of it. If the road leads me through pain, I pray it also leads me into deeper fellowship with the One who walks beside me. That is the treasure worth seeking.


1 John 1:3–4

“That  which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.”

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