- [Narrator] Why was David a man after God's own heart?
Number one, David genuinely repented.
What was so special about David
that God singled him out, anointed him,
sent his salvation through his lineage,
and called him a man after his heart?
Jesus is fondly called the son of David
throughout the New Testament
as proof that God had a precious bond with David
during his lifetime.
Of course, God loves all of creation,
and even proved it by sending Jesus
to pay the price for our redemption,
but certain people stand out in the Bible
as friends of God,
and David is definitely one of them.
David was the least of all his father's sons,
and was even considered irrelevant in his own family,
yet God chose to walk with him intimately
and enabled him to do great things in his generation.
We can look at critical traits of David's life
that may give us answers.
Was God drawn to David
because he was guiltless and sinless?
Of course not.
David, the man who is a role model to so many today
actually committed some of the vilest sins,
from adultery to murder,
yet his remorseful and repentant heart
can be seen clearly in Psalm 51.
"Have mercy on me, O God.
According to your unfailing love,
according to your great compassion,
blot out my transgressions,
wash away all my inequity
and cleanse me from my sin,
for I know my transgressions
and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.
Cleanse me with hyssop and I will be clean.
Wash me and I will be whiter than snow.
Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my inequity.
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me."
He did not pretend he did nothing wrong
when the prophet Nathan
confronted him about his wicked actions,
but admitted his wrongdoings.
Number two, David was faithful and loyal.
From David's story,
it is evident that his job description
was to manage the family's livestock,
and even though he wasn't appreciated,
he stayed on that job.
He served his family faithfully and diligently
until the set time that God sent Samuel
to anoint him in his father's house.
1 Samuel 16:1-13, King James Version,
gives us an insight into what he was doing
before God found him,
"And the Lord said unto Samuel,
'How long will thou mourn for Saul,
seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel?
Fill thine horn with oil, and go,
I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite,
for I have provided me a king among his sons.'"
David was a dedicated young man.
It doesn't matter how much we feel
God should use us significantly in his kingdom
until we are dedicated to our present tasks.
The father constantly seeks caring servants
to guide his children, fulfill his plans,
and improve the world.
We can deceive others by being men pleasers
when they are watching,
but this can't happen in our relationship with God,
as no one can fake their way into his heart.
Talk is often easy and cheap,
but our positive actions point to a glorious future.
If we are diligent like David,
our eyes will always be open to see opportunities
where we can be blessings and not burdens to others.
A responsible person will desist from causing trouble,
but will seek ways to make things better
and more productive.
It is essential to know that God
is naturally attracted to those
that love to add value to the world around them.
David took responsibility
and defended the helpless Israelites
so scared of Goliath's threat.
David said, moreover,
"'The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion
and out of the paw of the bear,
he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.'
And Saul said unto David, 'Go,
and the Lord be with thee.'"
Of course, being responsible may not involve
tending sheep as David did,
still we must be found adding value to our community,
because it is the easiest way
to avoid being tempted or lured
into things that will bring regrets.
One time David fell into a huge season of regret
was when he was idle
instead of standing strong with his army.
Work simply adds value to the society and dignifies us.
1 Timothy 4:14-16,
"Do not neglect your gift,
which was given you through prophecy
when the body of elders laid their hands on you.
Be diligent in these matters.
Give yourself holy to them
so that everyone may see your progress.
Watch your life and doctrine closely,
persevere in them,
because if you do,
you will save both yourself and your hearers."
Number three, David honed the skills God gave him.
This means David had time to practice
and improve his music.
Even before others knew he was a great warrior,
he became well known for this skill.
When King Saul had issues with his mind,
he asked that a skilled musician
be brought to the palace to play the harp
that would chase the evil spirit away from his presence
so that he could restore his peace.
The person that was recommended was David.
Then David came to Saul and attended him.
Saul loved him greatly,
and later, David became his armor bearer.
Saul sent word to Jesse saying,
"Please let David be my attendant,
for he has found favor in my sight."
So it came about that whenever the evil spirit
from God was on Saul,
David took a harp and played it with his hand
so Saul would be refreshed and be well,
and the evil spirit would leave him.
David didn't just depend on his natural gifts,
he perfected them into skills through practice.
God loves to search out our hearts to see the state
and then use us as his vessels
if we have been molded correctly.
He found himself a man after his own heart
who he was sure of his humility, loyalty and diligence,
no matter the position he would attain.
The words in Psalms 89:19-37, Amplified Bible,
reminds us that David was a man mighty helped
by the God who liked him greatly.
"Once you spoke in a vision to your godly ones and said,
'I have given help to one who is mighty,
giving him the power to be a champion for Israel.
I have exalted one chosen from the people.
I have found David my servant.
With my holy oil, I have anointed him,
with whom my hand shall be established and steadfast.
My arm also shall strengthen him.
The enemy will not outwit him,
nor will the wicked man afflict or humiliate him.
I will crush his adversaries before him
and strike those who hate him.
My faithfulness and steadfast loving kindness
shall be with him,
and in my name shall his horn be exalted.
Great power and prosperity shall be conferred upon him.'"
The truth is God is no respecter of persons,
but rewards those who diligently seek him.
Acts 10:34-35, Amplified Bible,
"Opening his mouth, Peter said,
'Most certainly I understand now
that God is not one to show partiality
to people as though Gentiles
were excluded from God's blessing,
but in every nation, the person who fears God
and does what is right by seeking him
is acceptable and welcomed by him.'"
God can also find us like he found David.
He can also anoint us just like he anointed David,
for exploits if we choose the pleasing path.
Number four, how he handled
the most painful times of his life.
We know David was a musician
and loved to praise the Lord.
However, most people quickly forget
one powerful trait of David.
He knew how to handle
the most painful and challenging seasons of his life.
One would think a man that gives praise
is absent of worries and challenges,
but this is not the case.
He is often called the sweet psalmist of Israel,
but was this true for all times?
I would like you to know
that this lovely man experienced bitter times.
The Bible says that David's daily routine
included praising God seven times.
This means whether he was in a great mood
or wary from all of his assignments,
he always made time to appreciate and honor God.
No wonder he was a man after God's heart.
We see him in various verses,
praising, rejoicing and joyful before the Lord,
even when he was facing challenges.
"I will bless the Lord at all times.
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make her boast in the Lord.
The humble shall hear thereof and be glad.
O, magnify the Lord with me
and let us exalt his name together.
I sought the Lord and he heard me,
and delivered me from all my fears.
This poor man cried and the Lord heard him,
and saved him out of all his troubles.
O, taste and see that the Lord is good.
Blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,
and in his ears are open unto their cry, the righteous cry,
and the Lord heareth
and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the Lord delivereth them out of them all.
The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants,
and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate,"
Psalm 34.
From these verses, it's evident that David
was going through terribly challenging times.
There were fears, troubles, crying,
and no doubt he must've fainted,
yet he found it in his heart
to praise and rejoice before the Lord.
Of course, this is why God's power
was always revealed to him in a powerful way,
and he was delivered again and again.
When a person is faced with challenges,
the typical reaction is to moan
or complain about the situation.
Pondering on these enormous and overwhelming challenges
only brings discouragement and can lead to depression,
because what we magnify will always look bigger than it is.
Our state of mind enlarges these issues so much
that they engulf our every waking moment.
They affect not only our normal reactions,
but also our self-esteem.
David is called a man after God's own heart
because he had absolute faith in God.
No place in the Bible illustrates this point
better than 1 Samuel 17,
which recounts how David
bravely slew the Philistine Goliath
when he was still a young shepherd boy.
David had a firm conviction from a young age
that God was worthy of their trust and obedience.
According to what is written in the Bible,
God was pleased by David's faith,
and as a result, God rewarded David for his faithfulness.
It is not difficult to see
that he has the utmost reverence for the word of God.
It is also important to note
how David meditates on the laws of God.
Through David's consistent meditation practice,
God bestowed understanding and wisdom upon him,
because God delights in it
when we give him our thoughts.
We would do well to read the Bible
and think about what it says as the day goes on.
Number five, David was thankful.
David was a man after God's heart
in that he was genuinely thankful.
Psalm 26:6-7, "I will wash my hands in innocence
and I will go about your altar, O Lord,
that I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving
and declare all your wonders."
There were times in David's life
when he was filled with fear and despair,
and are were also times
when he was filled with great peace and prosperity,
but despite the many changes in his life,
he never stopped to forget to thank the Lord
for everything he possessed.
It is without question
one of David's most admirable qualities.
Psalm 100, a psalm, for giving grateful praise.
"Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before him with joyous songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us and we are his."
It would benefit us as followers of Jesus Christ
to follow David's example
and offer praise and thanksgiving to our Lord
in the same way he did.
David was a man after God's own heart
because he exemplified faith
and was wholly dedicated to serving the Lord
throughout his whole life.
Yes, his faith was put to the ultimate test
and there were times when he fell short.
However, despite his sin,
he sought and obtained the forgiveness of the Lord.
In the end, David revered God's law
and made it his goal to live by it.
David is a role model for all of us
as a man after God's own heart.
This was was the problem
that the 10 spies Moses sent
to survey the Promised Land had.
Seeing these people's physical appearance
intimidated them terribly,
until they concluded among themselves
that they were never going to be a match
for these giants in any way.
It's often a matter of accepting defeat
without any confrontation,
so we resign and complain
instead of putting up a fight,
but this is not how God wants us to live our lives.
The scriptures make us realize
that as long as we are on this side of eternity,
we will confront challenges,
because the God of this world is our enemy
and the adversary of our soul.
Praise, thanksgiving, joy and rejoicing
are extremely potent weapons to use,
because victory is assured
no matter the intensity of the battle.
"But thou art holy,
O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel,"
Psalm 22:3, King James Version.
We must therefore face whatever comes before us
with confident assurance
and praise for the victories we desire.
David wasn't a man after God's heart
because of his qualifications.
We could go on and on about why David
is rightfully called the man after God's own heart.
However, David's experiences were a constant reminder
that there is nothing we can do to earn God's favor.
Only God can draw us close to his heart,
and may that be everyone's most fervent wish.
Do you aspire to be a man or woman after God's heart?
The good news is that God will bestow the title
on any soul who seeks his commands.