As I read through the chronicles of King David in the Old Testament, I often find myself commenting under my breath “David, what were you thinking?!” This thought is juxtaposed to statements throughout Scripture that David “walked with integrity of heart and uprightness” (1 Kings 9:4) and the heart of David was “wholly true to the Lord his God” (1 Kings 15:3). Paul quotes Samuel where God refers to David as “a man after My heart” (1 Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22).
One of the evidences for the authenticity and veracity of Scripture is that the foibles of key figures and admired faithful are not brushed over or swept under the rug. David was a flawed man, to be sure. But what set him apart was that, despite his flaws, he never stopped his pursuit of God. This pursuit was not just doing the “right” things outwardly, but seeking God’s heart, which is what contrasted him from his predecessor, Saul.
The heart is referenced metaphorically as the seat of affection and desire. We pursue and devote ourselves to what we love and long for. David longed for God (Ps. 63:1; 143:6) which is why he was known for doing God’s will with integrity of heart. The times he acted foolishly, he was confronted with truth, hence the necessity of prophets. On such occasions, the integrity of his heart – pursuing the heart of God – lead him to godly sorrow, repentance, and restoration.
Everyone worships. To know what we truly worship, we only need to look at what we long for. The Scriptures also inform us that we become like what we worship (Ps. 115:8; Jer. 13:10). The default form of worship for humans is self-worship – following the distractions and deceptions of the father of lies, leading us to deep ruts of bondage to our own passions.
In contrast, to seek God’s heart is to think God’s thoughts and to love what God loves. The God revealed to us in Scripture is the benevolent Sovereign; He is unfailingly good, just, merciful, forgiving, reconciling, and His love is steadfast. Is there any good reason why I would not seek His heart?
I take comfort in the fact that Scripture does not hide David’s flaws, for I am a flawed man too. But can it be said of me that I am after God’s heart? Do I long for lasting security and satisfaction?
Copyright © 2024 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.