A Man After God’s Heart

(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. ¹⁴ 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) (1 Samuel 13:13-14). This beautiful compliment, “a man after My own heart,” is one that should characterize every person who wears the name of Christ. But what is it about David that would bring about such a comment from God?

1. DAVID LOVED THE WORD OF GOD

“OH, HOW I LOVE YOUR LAW!” (Psalm 119:97). 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)
• It gives him great peace of mind (Psalm 119:165)

HOW IS YOUR LOVE FOR THE WORD OF GOD?

• Do you “hide” it in our heart?
• Do you find it to be the source of comfort in times of affliction?
• Does it give you peace of mind?
• If not, you should give heed to the instruction of David in (Psalm 1:1-3)
• We should learn to delight in the Word
• We should learn to meditate upon it daily
• Then we will be truly “blessed”!

2. DAVID LOVED TO PRAY

“I WILL CALL UPON HIM AS LONG AS I LIVE” (Psalm 116:1-2)

• His love for prayer was based upon the fact God had answered him before (Psalm 116:1-2)
• It was based upon the fact that God had greatly blessed him (Ps 116:12-13)
• It was based upon the fact that prayer brought God close to him (Psalm 145:18)

HOW IS YOUR LOVE FOR PRAYER?

• Have you found it to be a source of peace “which surpasses all understanding”? (Philippians 4:6-7)
• Do you “pray without ceasing”? (1 Thessalonians 5:17) (Psalm 32:6-7)

4. DAVID LOVED TO PRAISE GOD

“SEVEN TIMES A DAY I PRAISE YOU” (Psalm 119:164)

• He 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 YOU LOVE TO PRAISE GOD?

• Do you delight in singing praises to God in song?
• Do you take time to praise God in our prayers?
• Once again, David has words to encourage us in this activity (Psalm 147:1)

5. DAVID HATED EVERY FALSE WAY

“I HATE EVERY FALSE WAY” (Psalm 119:104)

• His hatred was based upon his understanding of God’s precepts (Psalm 119:104)
• His hatred affected his selection of activities and friends (Psalm 101:3-4,6-7)

WHAT IS YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARD FALSE WAYS?

• Are you soft or compromising?
• Or do you realize that we are involved in a “battle” over the souls of men, 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 never love the sin
• Do we hate sin?

It was said concerning David that he was one “…who will do all My will.” (Acts 13:22). 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 of us that we are men after the heart of God? Lord may it be so!