Becoming a Person After God's Own Heart

David is known as a person after God's own heart. “The man after God’s own heart.” Many people were chosen by God, but without question, David was one of the closest to Him. David’s relationship with God was one that kept growing and stayed dynamic. It was a relationship not pushed away by conditions and circumstances.

If we read the story of David’s life, we will surely realize that his life was not always beautiful and smooth. He was once at the height of glory (a great palace, family, a peaceful kingdom!). He was once at the lowest of the low (imagine, a king disguising himself as a madman!). David even committed a vile sin before God (stealing another man’s wife and killing her husband?!). The wheel kept turning, just as we all experience, though on a more extreme scale.

How did David maintain his relationship with God through life’s bitter and sweet moments? What was so special about this young shepherd who became king of Israel that he could win God’s heart? Learning from David can help us find the key to God’s heart. Let us look at several things that made David win God’s heart.

1. David believed that the Lord is the shepherd and he is the sheep

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures...”

Psalm 23 describes God’s place in David’s heart. The Lord is shepherd and provider. David felt safe in His guidance.

What does it mean if we truly trust Him the way David did? A sheep does not worry about anything. It relies on its shepherd to keep it safe and provide for its needs. David also knew that his shepherd would not harm him. He trusted Him completely and knew His voice.

In life, we often feel that we know better what is best for ourselves. Even better than God! It is easy to trust God when things are going well. But when things are not going well, do we trust that God is still in control? That He knows what He is doing? God’s got this. I often read that slogan on social media. In any situation, we can feel safe like David and say, “God’s got this”.

2. David “pursued” a relationship with God

“O God, You are my God, I seek You; my soul thirsts for You, my body longs for You...” (Psalm 63:2)

Have we ever seen a couple deeply in love? Both long for each other’s presence. Much time is spent together. There is laughter, there are quarrels, there is happiness, there are problems. But love makes them still want to be one. Now imagine if only one of them keeps pursuing the relationship. Only one loves wholeheartedly and is willing to sacrifice for the other. Will that relationship last and become a healthy one?

Sadly, that is often a picture of our relationship with God. God loves us wholeheartedly and is always ready to receive us in any condition. But not rarely, we are lukewarm and unwilling to pour out our whole selves.

Perhaps what made David one of God’s best lovers was his longing to always be with Him. In times of joy and in times of trouble, he did not forget Him and always pursued Him. Thank God, His grace never runs out for us. We can return to Him and learn to become better lovers for Him.

3. David knew that to be after God’s own heart, he had to be humble, surrendered, and obedient

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and He saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).

Is that a sentence commonly spoken by a leader and commander of war? Much less the king of one of the greatest and strongest kingdoms on earth! Humble, surrendered, and obedient are not characteristics commonly found in great leaders!

But David’s life journey taught him to be humble, surrendered, and obedient to God. These qualities enabled God to shape David according to His will. That is what set David apart. David had a heart that feared the Lord. David did not “take credit” for all that he achieved and possessed. He was also open to all of God’s training and correction (Psalm 26:2).

If we want to become people after God’s own heart, we must keep learning to be humble, surrendered, and obedient like David. No matter how high or low our position is. No matter how good or bad our situation is.

4. David hid nothing before God

“I acknowledged my sin to You, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said: ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and You forgave the guilt of my sin” (Psalm 32:5).

Have we ever found out that someone we love was hiding something from us? Perhaps our child or spouse made a mistake and hid it. Or a friend made a decision and kept it secret. Perhaps our parents shared their worries with our older or younger sibling, but not with us?

Being in that position is not pleasant. In fact, usually we are hurt not because of the mistake or what they did. But because they were not open with us.

When someone is open with us, we feel close and trusted. We value that openness. Perhaps that is what made David so special in God’s heart. He told God everything, even his sins. Of course, God knows everything we do. But it was David’s openness that made him special.

5. David remembered and gave thanks for the things God had done

Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said: “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far? ... And what nation on earth is like Your people Israel, whose God went to redeem them as His own people, to make a name for Himself by doing great and awesome things for them, driving out nations and their gods from before His people?”(2 Samuel 7:18, 23)

With a life journey full of ups and downs, it would have been easy for David to become bitter and remember the bad things that happened to him. But David always focused on God’s goodness and gave thanks for it. His life journey did not make his heart hard. Perhaps it was his words of thanksgiving that kept his heart soft and humble. As in the verses we read above, David remembered the good things God had done and gave thanks for them.

What about us? Do we remember more the good things God has done in our lives, or instead the hardships we go through? Do we express our gratitude to God every day? If right now we find it difficult to give thanks, perhaps we can practice speaking it out first and let God change our hearts.

There is still so much we can learn from David’s relationship with God. But one thing is certain: out of the billions of people on the face of the earth, God saw David as one of those closest to His heart. Imagine if when we meet God one day, He looks at us and says, “You are after My own heart!” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FLyeV2fVYo

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