A Heart Like God's Heart

Paul, in briefly recounting the history of Israel, told of king Soul. Then he said, “And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jessie, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will’” (Ac 13:22).

God said David was a “man after My own heart” – a man who wants to have a heart like God’s heart, a man who wants to desire and choose the things God desires and chooses. David, unlike king Saul, had a heart like this. But here’s the interesting thing, David wasn’t perfect. David made mistakes. David sinned. So, what does it mean to be someone “after My own heart”?

1.  David loved God. You can’t read the Psalms of David without feeling David’s desire for a love relationship with God. He wanted God as his closest friend and companion. We wanted to walk and talk with God throughout His life. It wasn’t just a business or political relationship.

2.  David respected and revered God. To David, God was “awesome,” to be respected and even feared. He knew that God deserved His worship and praise. He recognized that God was in control of his life, the world around him, and his future.

3.  David wanted to do the will of God. It was in David’s heart to obey God. Generally, his desire was to do God’s things in God’s way and that’s what he advocated. He didn’t do this perfectly. At times he did things that contradicted what he said, believed, and generally desired. And this tested his true heart.

4.  David repented when he sinned. When confronted with his sin David replied, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Sa 12:13). Time and again, David turned back to God – no excuses, no self-justification, no attempts at hiding it. He showed his heart by simply asking and begging for forgiveness.

What about our hearts? Can we learn from the mistakes and successes of those who lived before us? Teach your heart the ways of God. Love, honor, and respect God more than anyone or anything. Desires to do God’s will, find God’s will in His word, and always immediately repent when you know your sin. Be someone God would say, “There’s someone after My own heart, who will do all My will.”   dd