A Matter of the Heart
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 ESV
Reflection
In the sports world, when an athlete or a team plays to their fullest, leaving everything on the court or the field, it may be said that they played with a lot of heart. In the boxing world, a fiercely competitive fighter might be referred to as having the heart of a lion, while in the business world of high-stakes deals and negotiations, such business is too much for the faint of heart. The heart is often a symbol that refers to one’s character, a reflection of what lies below the surface or beyond outward appearances.
In the book of Samuel, King Saul, by outward appearances, fit the mould of what a king should look like. He was tall and handsome. (1 Sam 9:1-2) Yet God rejected him for lacking the character to lead God’s people. In his place, the Lord selected a most unlikely figure, David, a shepherd boy, the youngest son of Jesse. By earthly measures, David hardly met the standard for kingship. However, the Lord was not seeking a man of earthly merit; instead, God was seeking a man whose character was a reflection of His own heart. Scripture states:
14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.” 1 Samuel 13:14
Application
What does it mean to be a man after God’s own heart?
King David’s life and relationship with the Lord can provide valuable insight. King David’s relationship with the Lord can be described as complete and utter submission and love. David’s love for God was evident and on full display throughout the many stages of his life.
David understood Israel’s and his relationship with God.
As a shepherd boy witnessing the Philistine army taunt the armies of Israel, David asks a simple but powerful question:
“For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? (1 Sam 17:26)
By posing this question, David revealed that he understood Israel’s identity before God and the world as God’s Holy people, set apart from all other nations. His question also revealed what he believed about the “living God.”
In victory, David gave God the glory.
Upon facing the Philistine giant in battle, David makes a bold proclamation:
“This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel” (1 Sam 17:46)
David fought Goliath not for his fame and glory but so the world would know the God of Israel.
Despite shame, David ran toward God and not away from God.
After the prophet Samuel confronted David for having committed the despicable acts of murder and adultery (2 Sam 11), rather than seek his means to address his shame and sin, David ran to the only one who could address the condition of his heart. (Psalm 51:10-12) (Psalm 38)
God was the central figure of David’s existence. He was everything to David.
Shepherd (Psalm 23)
Strength and Shield (Psalm 28)
Healer (Psalm 30:2)
Light and Salvation (Psalm 27)
Deliverer (Psalm 40)
And much much more!
Throughout David’s whole life, despite both his strengths and shortcomings, he earnestly sought after the Lord with all his heart. He loved God and fully accepted God’s love, correction, direction, mercy and grace. His life reflects Jesus’s exhortation in Luke 10:27:
And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.”
A man after God’s own heart is like David, one whose love for God overflows and runs to the deepest corners of their being. I encourage you to seek after the Lord, not just with your mind, not just sometimes, but every day in every circumstance and with your whole being.
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Prayer
Condition my heart, Lord, to seek You first and foremost every day and in every circumstance, not just with my mind but with my whole being. Not in pursuit of righteousness, favour or praise, but out of a deep desire to be close to you, Lord, to love You and to receive the fullness of Your love for me. Amen.
Yours in Christ,
Brad
