The man after God’s own heart

'The man after God’s own heart'

— 1 Samuel 16:7

God, who ‘looketh on the heart’, looked on David’s heart and declared, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart’ (Acts 13:22). When I read that statement of our God about his servant David, my heart cries, ‘Father, give me that kind of heart.’ But a question immediately arises: ‘When the Lord looked upon David’s heart, what did he see?’

He saw a broken and contrite heart (Ps. 51:1-17). David’s heart was broken, not because he had been caught in his sin, but because he had committed the sin. It was brought down with contrition not only because of what he had done, but also because of what he was. He saw his sin in the light of God’s holiness and in the light of God’s mercy in blood redemption through Christ, and his heart was broken before the Lord.

The Lord saw in David a believing heart (Ps. 31:5, 14). David believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness. He trusted God for the forgiveness of sin, through a Substitute (Ps. 32:1-5; 130:1-8). He trusted God’s rule of all things in providence, declaring, ‘My times are in thy hand’, and ‘What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.’ And David confidently trusted the Lord’s immutable faithfulness. He said, ‘When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take up.’

When God looked upon David’s heart, he saw a heart of submission to the will and the rule of his Lord, This is beautifully exemplified in the. death of his son (2 Sam. 12:20). Every believing heart is a submissive heart. There are no exceptions. Submission to God’s providence is not a prayerless, effortless, lazy, indifferent fatalism. It is bowing to the will of God with willingness and confidence.

As the Lord looked upon David, he saw a man with a loving and devoted heart (Ps. 116: 1). His heart was full of love, devotion, adoration and praise to God. He loved all that God is and all that God had done. He was devoted to the Word, the will, the worship and the work of God. And David’s heart was full of love to men as well. Who was ever more loving, kind and generous to men than David was to Mephibosheth?