A Painted Old Testament | With Ray Comfort, Ron Dicianni & Dave YaukSample

A Man After God’s Own Heart from Dave Yauk

One may wonder, as they read the account of David’s life, as to why the Lord refers to David as “a man after God’s own heart.” One would only have to read the account of David’s lying, adultery, murder, and thievery of Uriah’s wife Bathsheba, to judge David to be nothing less than the opposite of what the Lord decrees (2 Samuel 11). However, compare David’s sins committed to the contrition expressed in Psalm 51. In creating the aforementioned comparison, we get a glimpse into why God would refer to David, or any man, woman, or child for that matter, as “after his heart.”

God awards David this title, not because he’s perfect, but because David is always tenaciously trying to follow after God against all enemies and foes (1 Samuel 17). David also appears to attempt to glorify God and remain thankful even amidst life’s darkest moments, disillusion, and failure (PS 119:47-48). In pondering God’s words to David, and in seeing how God deals with our fallen human nature, we should feel much more confident in following God ourselves. God does not award us the title of son or daughter because of our performance or lack thereof, God awards us a title of “pleasing in his sight” because of what Jesus has done.

David’s forgiveness and righteousness was accredited (past) to him the same ours is today (future). Jesus’s hand of salvation and grace allows even the most grievous of sinners to seek faithfulness in the midst of half-heartedness. God empowers us to learn truth even when we are self-deceived. God enables purity when we are profane, love when there’s hatred, and generosity when there’s theft. The only hope in the human equation is God’s patient work in and through us; even when all we do seems to work counterintuitive to God’s ends and aims.