It's a matter of heart...

1 Samuel 16:7  "But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Acts 13:22 "After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, 'I HAVE FOUND DAVID the son of Jesse, A MAN AFTER MY HEART, who will do all My will.'"

1 Kings 15:5 "...because David did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite."

1 Kings 9:4 "As for you, if you will walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you and will keep My statutes and My ordinances..."

Lately I've been spending time in the Old Testament, reading through Samuel, Kings and Chronicles.  In all six of those books, one name stands out among all others... David.  The second of Israel's kings, he is the standard against which all who follow are measured.  They either walked in the way of David or they didn't.

What was it about David that set him apart, that caused God to esteem him so highly?  It was his heart.  From his youth through his old age, David loved God wholeheartedly.  His heart revealed humility, dependence, and trust; it produced obedience, courage, and faithfulness.

I was encouraged by the description in 1 Kings 15:5 where David's life was summed up as one of integrity of heart, uprightness, and consistent obedience.  The only sin mentioned was his murder of Uriah.  But that wasn't David's only misstep.  As I read about his reign, there are numerous times when he doesn't get it right, when he acts presumptuously and is disciplined by The Lord. Yet, in his description of David, God seems to overlook them.

What was it about David's heart that set him apart from all others?  I believe it was tenderness.  Yes, David sinned.  But when his sin was revealed, he was heart-broken and repentant.  Just read Psalm 51 and you'll see.  It was that tenderness and transparency before God that kept David's relationship with Him strong and vibrant.

How that encourages me!  David's life is a living testimony to the truth of 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

When The Lord summarizes my life, I hope He will say that I walked in the way of David, in integrity of heart and uprightness.  It's all a matter of heart!

Lord, I am so grateful that you have given me a new heart, one whose sole purpose is to honor You.  Please, Holy Spirit, protect my heart today from anything that would distract me from that goal.  Help me to listen carefully for Your voice, to discern it from all of the others that vie for my attention.  I want to be a "man after God's heart."  Amen.