By Pastor John Mateos Ong
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When King Saul failed to obey God’s instruction, Samuel told him that God would have established his kingdom over Israel for all time but the Lord sought now a man after his own heart to rule His people.
This man was David, son of Jesse, son of Obed, son of Boaz. Samuel went to Bethlehem where Jesse presents his sons upon Samuel where they are all not chosen except the youngest, who was David. The Lord firmly instructed Samuel that he should anoint the one He indicated, the one who’s after his heart. Thus, David was anointed.
We may say that David was blameless and upright yet he has committed adultery with Bathsheba. Because of his committed sin, he immediately confessed unto the Lord that made God forgive him. The Lord then gave him the consequence of his sin. David knows that there is always justice, mercy, and grace with God. He may have lost his first son because of his sin, but he had another child, Solomon, whom the Lord loved.
Let’s examine David’s character, is he a perfect leader? Is he a perfect follower of God? No, he isn’t. Yet he was called a man after God’s heart. What do you think is his secret? Basically, David’s trust for the Lord was so great that he let God take over in his life. He trusts that God will fulfill His promise with him becoming a king, with him building an altar, with him being forgiven.
David was no son of a king nor anyone thought that he would be one, but he is destined to be. The moment he became a king that's when he started to learn and dive deep in having a relationship with the Lord. In the book of Psalm, we can read David’s journal. It was beautifully and honestly written from the heart of David for the Lord.
There we can see 8 resolutions that we can start applying to ourselves. This list can help us be more like David who very much values God’s heart.
1. I will give importance to worship – Have you ever cried during praise and worship? Have you ever felt like you really are in His presence? Your heart’s so full that you forget about anyone and anything around you. That it’s just you and Him. My prayer for you is to experience this, just like David who vowed to give importance to worship and who isn’t ashamed of how he worships the Lord. (Read: Psalm 101:1)
2. I will pursue holiness and walk with integrity – When David said that he will ponder the way that is blameless and will walk with integrity it emphasizes that even if he is now a king and is called a man after God’s heart, he is never complacent of pursuing God’s heart and will for him. He ensures that anything he says matches to what he does and most importantly what God wants him to do. As Christians, we must pursue this kind of character for it is crucial for us that what we tell reflects what we do. (Read: Psalm 101:2)
3. I will value my time and choose what to pursue – Do not waste your time on worthless things. God has great plans laid down for you, be wise enough to pursue these instead of worldly “good” things. In anything you may do, never settle and pursue what is “just good”. (Read: Psalm 101:3)
4. I will constantly check my heart – In your busy life, do you still have time for a heart check? Do you make sure that it’s still seeking what is right? What is not evil? My reminder for you is no matter how busy or hectic your day was, always remember to check your heart. To keep you grounded that it should seek the Lord’s will always. (Read: Psalm 101:4)
5. I will not tolerate sin – Christians are not blind for what is right and wrong. As a follower of Christ, you must not protect those who sin but correct through Jesus. (Read: Psalm 101:5)
6. I will be with fellow believers – Look with favorable eyes to those who are fellow servants of the Lord. Dwell with those who also believe, those who walk in the way that is blameless that you may keep them around and minister to you. (Read: Psalm 101:6)
7. I will not be with liars – In verse 7, David did not say avoid the liars, but he emphasized that these kinds of people shall not dwell in his house nor continue before his eyes. We cannot avoid encountering liars but the good thing is we have the choice not to dwell with them. (Read: Psalm 101:7)
8. I will purge evil every day – Purging evil is a daily task for Christians. Internally and externally we must destroy evildoers that do not give the Lord glory. (Read: Psalm 101:8)
Reflect on this: How important is God’s heart for you? The greatest gift of God isn’t our chance of entering heaven but his mercy and grace of giving us the opportunity to have a relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ after we’ve been separated from Him because of our sins. Pursue God’s heart. Pursue Him every day.
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