Morning Devotions With Pastor Dan July 28th, 2020
(1 Samuel 13:13-14)…..And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”
In Paul’s sermon at Antioch, in which he briefly recounts the history of Israel, he refers to the statement made by God concerning David: “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will” (Acts 13:22). This beautiful compliment, “a man after My own heart,” is one that should characterize every person who wears the name of Christ. So when you think of something so wonderful for God to say of a man (His creation), one has to wonder what David was like that moved God to say such a thing. Now David was only a man, but David…..
1. DAVID LOVED THE WORD OF GOD
We are told of this in (Psalm 119:97)…..”Oh, how I love your law!” Other Psalms, if not written by David it certainly does express this sentiment (Psalm 119:47-48). This love for God’s Word is due to the fact that it protects him from sin (Psalm 119:11), it revives him in affliction – (Psalm 119:50), and it gives him great peace of mind (Psalm 119:165).
HOW IS YOUR LOVE FOR THE WORD OF GOD?
- Do you “hide” it in your heart?
- Do you find it to be a source of comfort in times of affliction?
- Does it give you peace of mind?
- If not, you should give heed to the instructions of David in – (Psalm 1:1-3) and learn to delight in the Word, learn to meditate upon it daily, then we will be truly “blessed”!
2. DAVID LOVED TO PRAY
(Psalm 116:1-2)…..I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.His love for prayer was based upon the fact God had answered him before – Ps 116:1-2
It was based upon the fact that God had greatly blessed him – (Psalm 116:12-13), it was based upon the fact that prayer brought God close to him (Psalm 145:18).
HOW IS OUR LOVE FOR PRAYER?
Have we found it to be a source of peace “which surpasses all understanding”? Do we “pray without ceasing”? (1 Thessalonians 5:17) (Psalm 32:6-7).
3. DAVID LOVED TO PRAISE GOD
(Psalm 119:164)…..Seven times a day I praise You, because of Your righteous judgments.
David praised God because of His righteous judgments, he praised God because of His greatness and lovingkindness (Psalm 95:1-7). And he was determined to sing praises as long as he lived (Psalm 104:33).
DO WE LOVE TO PRAISE GOD?
Do we delight in singing praises to God in song? Do we take time to praise God in our prayers? Once again, David has words to encourage us in this activity (Psalm 147:1).
4. DAVID HATED EVERY FALSE WAY
(Psalm 119:104)…..Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.
His hatred for every false way was based upon his understanding of God’s precepts and his hatred affected his selection of activities and friends (Ps 101:3-4,6-7).
WHAT IS OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD FALSE WAYS?
Are you soft or compromising? Do you realize that we are involved in a “battle” over the souls of men (yours too), and are not to think lightly of that which is false? (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). While we are to love the sinner, we must always hate the sin! Do you hate sin?
It was said concerning David that he was one who will do all God’s will” – in (Acts 13:22), and this was because he was “a man after God’s own heart.” God was confident that David would do ALL that God asked of him. How about you? Are you motivated to do ALL of God’s will? Can it be said of each one reading this devotion that we are men/women after the heart of God?