A Heart for God

1 Sam 16:6-7 & 12

When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed stands here before the LORD.” But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” …. Then the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him [David]; he is the one.” NIV

What is it about David that got God’s attention? The key to understanding why God thought so highly of David lies in those words, “man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” All the sons of Jesse were fine men but God was looking for that one thing that would set a man apart from all the others – a heart for God. And in David, He found just that.

As the story of David progresses, we begin to learn something about David. Unnoticed by everyone else, he had quietly grown in stature before God. He knew God, experienced God and loved God. And out of that came a trust and reliance on God that was unshakeable through all the days of his life. He also learned something about the power of God when he prevailed, with God’s help, over the lion and the bear that attacked his sheep (1Sam 17:37).

Others saw his job as a shepherd as rather insignificant compared to the warriors and leaders of the land, but for David it was more than just watching over the sheep; it was about walking with God, drawing close to Him, building his relationship with the Lord. Well is it written that “whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much…” (Luke 16:10).

David was perhaps the most passionate for God amongst all in the Bible. He was always hungry for the presence of God. One of the first things he did when he became king was to bring back to Jerusalem the Ark of the Covenant, which had been forgotten and ignored for more than 40 years. He was constantly praying, talking with God, seeking after God. He composed music and sang songs to God. He wrote poems to God. He danced before God. His whole life was consumed with pleasing God, serving God, fulfilling God’s plan for the nation. He wanted to build a temple to the Lord and it was he who put aside the money and resources for the building that Solomon eventually built.

He was not a perfect man, mind you. Indeed, he is one of the worst sinners in the Bible – he committed adultery with Bathsheba and even had her husband killed so he could marry her. He could be brash at times and had a quick temper. But he also recognized when he had sinned and always threw himself before the Lord in repentance. He made no excuses for his sin: “I have sinned O Lord,” he would cry. He knew when he had grieved God and wept for it. “Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me,” he cried (Ps 51:11). There is no one else like that in the Bible. It is no wonder that God called David a man after His own heart and honored him like no one else. What a great thing to have God say: “Here is a man/woman after my own heart!”

Most times we read about David and we think he’s really special. We wonder how nice it must be to get that close to God. Perhaps we even envy him that he was able to get that close, enjoy that level of intimacy with God. I believe that God wants us all to be like David – passionate about Him, committed fully to His cause, having the same heart as he had. He wants us to be so one with Him that His heart is our heart, His purpose is our purpose, His desires are our desires.

Listen to what the Lord says: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jer 29:13); “Those who honor me I will honor” (1 Sam 2:30); “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word” (Isa 66:2). It’s all too easy to make a religion out of it and see our faith in terms of attending church, reading the bible, observing some laws, etc., but God has always been after our hearts. We can serve Him in mighty ways, but if we have not given him our hearts, we have given him nothing really.

If we love the Lord, we must make it our heart’s desire to have a heart like David. It’s not an impossible thing. Make it your heart’s desire and He will surely give you the desires of your heart. Make time for Him and He will take time to show you His heart and change yours. It’s really about making a decision to set your heart to pursue intimacy with God, to make it your heart’s desire to draw as close to God as any human possibly can. This one thing will determine everything else about your life.

© 2013 Arise Ambassadors Ministries. “Fuel for the Fire – Daily Reflections on the Word of God” by Dennis Ignatius may be reproduced and/or distributed in part or in whole, in print or electronically only for non-profit purposes provided acknowledgment is made as follows: “Used by permission of Dennis Ignatius, Arise Ambassadors Ministries, Ottawa.” For other purposes, the expressed permission of Arise Ambassadors Ministries must be obtained. To contact our ministry please email us at ministry@ariseambassadors.com or visit www.ariseambassadors.com