A Man After God’s Own Heart

When you think of David, what comes to your mind?

• Is it that David sinned with Bathsheba and had Uriah murdered to cover it up?
• Is it the battle where David kills Goliath?
• Is it the friendship between David and Jonathan?
• Is it that David that wrote about half of the Psalms and poured out his heart to God?

The Bible doesn’t shield us from the truth. We get to read about both sides of David.

The Bible allows us to see David’s sin so that we can also see that David had a heart that could be touched with the truth. He wasn’t afraid to admit his sin. He wasn’t afraid to confess and ask for forgiveness. (Psalm 51)

Perhaps when you think of David, you think of the phrase “a man after God’s own heart.”

“After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’” Acts 13:22

What does it mean to be a man after God’s heart?

Perhaps a look at some of the character qualities of David will help.

David knew who he trusted in.

“The LORD is my light and my salvation– whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life– of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1

David wasn’t afraid to tell others about God.

“I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders.” Psalm 9:1

David desired to be obedient.

“Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart.” Psalm 119:34

David loved God.

“I love you, O Lord, my strength.” Psalm 18:1

David was thankful.

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” Psalm 100:4

David was brave and he trusted God to take care of him.

^“David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.””
1 Samuel 17: 45 – 47

David was humble. David understood that the only good thing about him was God. He is an example of how a leader needs to put his own ego aside and humble himself before a holy and almighty God.

“I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”” Psalms 16:2

David loved God’s Word.

“Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart— they do no wrong but follow his ways.” Psalm 119:2-3

“for I delight in your commands because I love them. I reach out for your commands, which I love, that I may meditate on your decrees.” Psalm 119:47-48

David love to praise God.

“David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,
“Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.
Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.
Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.
Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.””
1 Chronicles 29:10-13

Like David, may we seek to be men and woman after God’s own heart and may we long to have the Lord create in us clean hearts.