Men of God: Ancient Virtues for Modern WarriorsSample

David's Heart

“Pursuing God When Life Gets Complicated”

David was called a man after God's own heart, but his life was far from perfect. His story includes incredible victories like slaying Goliath in 1 Samuel 47:50 and bigtime failures like falling into temptation in 2 Samuel 11. What set David apart wasn't that he achieved perfection—it was his response to his own brokenness.

When confronted with his sin regarding Bathsheba and Uriah, David didn't make excuses or shift blame. Instead, he wrote Psalm 51, one of the most honest prayers in the Bible. "Against you, you only, have I sinned," he confessed to God. David understood that the greatest tragedy of his moral failure wasn't the damage to his reputation but the obstacle he placed between him and his relationship with God.

Early in our marriage, I learned a lesson that has made a difference in our lives. We did not have much money in the early part of our marriage. As a new husband, I wanted to provide everything for Nancy that she wanted and things that I wanted for her, even though she asked for very little. We applied for and received a credit card and committed to paying off the balance every month. That worked great until I overspent. Now we had a $600 balance that I could not pay on time.

For two months, I beat Nancy to the mailbox on the day the credit card statement arrived. In my mind, all was good until month three. Nancy got the mail that day, and I came home to an open statement lying on our coffee table. For Nancy, there were two issues. One, I had run up a debt on the credit card and two, I had lied to her. It was a turning point for me. I confessed to her and to God. I committed to never doing either again, knowing that I had to give this control to God. Obviously, I had not done well with it on my own. Since that time, our credit card has always been paid on time, and being honest with Nancy every day is a habit that God has built into the fabric of who I am."

As men, we often struggle with admitting failure. We build our identities around competence and strength. Confession feels like weakness. But David shows us a different kind of strength—the courage to face our brokenness honestly before God.

What made David's heart remarkable wasn't the absence of sin but his unrelenting pursuit of restoration with God. In the depths of his failure, he didn't run from God but toward Him. Even with all his accomplishments—giant-slayer, warrior-king, psalmist—David's legacy is ultimately about his heart's orientation toward God.

Reflection Questions:

1. When was the last time you were completely honest with God about your failures and struggles?
2. How do you typically respond when confronted with your mistakes or sins?
3. What might it look like for you to be "a man after God's own heart" in your current season of life?

Next Step:

• Set aside 30 minutes of uninterrupted time to pray through Psalm 51, making it your own prayer.