David was ‘a man after God’s own heart.’ What does that mean? Does it mean you constantly read your Bible, or pray continuously, or go to church every time the doors are open? While these may be wonderful, I think it goes deeper than that. I think a study of David will help us.
More has been written in the Bible about David than any other character in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament there are 66 chapters written about David and in the New Testament there are 59 references to this great man. 73 Psalms are attributed to David.
In Hebrew, the name David means ‘beloved’. He was born about approximately 1,000 years before Christ (1040 BC) and was the youngest of eight son of Jesse (1 Samuel 16:10-11). He is described as handsome and ruddy with beautiful eyes. He was anointed as a boy to be God’s chosen king by the prophet Samuel. From that day forward, the Holy Spirit remained with him for the rest of his life (1 Samuel 16:13).
David is the only person in the Bible whose commendation from God is ‘a man after my own heart’ (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). Yet, David is guilty of adultery, stealing, coveting, lying, deceiving and murder; hardly the kind of lifestyle described as a man after God’s own heart.
“How can God describe David as a man ‘after my own heart’ (1 Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22) when he did all of those wicked things that are recorded in the Bible about him?”
Well, one thing is for sure… If David can be a man after God’s heart, so can you.
But I think one reason why David was ‘after God’s own heart’ is because of his own heart. I think if we can apply some of the characteristics of David’s heart, we will become a person ‘after God’s heart.’
What do we mean by ‘heart’?
Before we explore David’s heart, what do we mean by heart? It’s not the physical organ that pumps blood through our body. When the Bible talks about our heart, it is referring to the core of our being… our mind, will, and emotions.
The Bible tells us that our ‘heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked’ (Jeremiah 17:9). We may do good things, but at our core we are wicked. Our mind, emotions and desires are tainted by sin. And often, we are unaware of it. But it is from our heart that the sinful actions come. We are not sinners because we sin, we sin because we are sinners. Our heart needs to be changed.
In order for a person to be saved, the heart must be changed. This only happens by the power of God in response to faith. ‘With the heart one believes unto righteousness’ (Romans 10:10). God can create a ‘new heart’ within us (Psalm 51:10). This is what happened to David’s heart.
So, what was it about David’s heart that caused him to be a ‘man after God’s own heart’?
I looked up every reference to heart from the words of David in the Psalms. I jotted down all the times he talked about his own heart. I discovered 8 characteristics of David’s heart…
A JOYFUL HEART
“…my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.” (Psalm 13:5)
What makes your heart happy? Is it the joy of the salvation that God has given us, or do you find more enjoyment in things that won’t last?
A LISTENING HEART
“the law of his God is in his heart…” (Psalm 37:31; also Psalm 19:14; 40:8)
What captures your thoughts? Is it God’s Word, or the news of the day? Do you listen to God’s Word or simply read it?
A STRUGGLING HEART
Psalm 13:2 – “…sorrow in my heart daily…” (Psalm 13:2). “the troubles of my heart are enlarged…” (Psalm 25:17). “my heart is sore pained within me…” (Psalm 55:4). “… my heart is overwhelmed…” (Psalm 61:2). “… my heart is wounded within me” (Psalm 109:22). See also Psalm 34:18; 38:8; 69:20; 143:4)
Are you so proud that you are afraid to admit your weak heart? God can only heal the hurts you admit.
A PRAISING HEART
“I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart…” (Psalm 9:1; see also Psalm 86:12; 138:1)
Do your words reflect a positive heart or a negative heart? Do you praise or complain about what God has brought to your life?
A HUMBLE HEART
“Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty…” (Psalm 131:1)
At your core, is it all about you? Or do you honestly seek the welfare of others?
A FAITHFUL HEART
“My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed…” (Psalm 57:7)
Does your heart go up and down according to circumstances? Or is your heart fixed on the unchanging God?
A REPENTANT HEART
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” (Psalm 51:17; See also Psalm 40:12; 51:10)
Does your heart break because of the sin that separates you from God? Are you willing to see how dirty your heart really is? Only when you admit the dirt, will God clean it up.
A DEVOTED HEART
“When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.” (Psalm 27:8; also Psalm 28:7)
Do you seek God’s face at the core of your being? What is your ultimate motivation and priority in life?
To be a ‘man or woman after God’s own heart, you need to invite Jesus into your own heart. He will then clean your heart and renew it to be like His heart. You will discover that He will change your heart to express these characteristics.
You can also read my other article about King David: A Story of True Friendship – David and Jonathan.