Contrary to what happened to Solomon, David’s enemies never gave him rest. And this was what forced him to keep his faith constantly active. The majority of David’s psalms reflect his suffering.

“Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing; I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary with my crying; my throat is dry; my eyes fail while I wait for my God.”

These first three verses of Psalm 69 clearly reflect one of his moments of agony and pain. But David never grew weak in his faith or lost his trust in God. His son Solomon, however, did not experience the same situations that David went through. He proclaims the wellbeing of his soul in saying, “But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor evil occurrence” (1 Kings 5.4).

Two kings, two different fates. The first one groaned because of his enemies, but he kept his communion with God; the second one enjoyed prosperity and peace, and he did not have enemies. But, he lost his faith.

The conclusion we draw from this paradox of faith is simple: the greater the feeling of social and spiritual wellbeing, the greater the risk of growing weak in the faith and losing everything. This is Solomon’s portrait.

The more intense the battles and trials, the more we depend on faith and on God. This is David’s portrait.

God allows enemies of faith to exist so that His servants do not become complacent. It’s the old story of the shark in the fish tank. As long as the shark is there, the fish remain vigilant, and stay alive!

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David vs. Solomon