1 Samuel 13:14 “The Lord has sought Him a “Man after his own heart”.
Our theme is “A Heart Like His”. The Lord was talking about David, who would be anointed king at a later time.
What does it mean to be a “Man after God’s own heart”?
1. A PASSIONATE HEART: To have a heart like someone else speaks of having the same likes and dislikes, desires, loves, cares, passions as the other person. What grabs your heart? What are you passionate about? What are they excited about? For some people it is football, (Packers – Vikings – Brewers – Bears) or sports in general. It can also be computers or computer games, Cell phone texting, work, money, (For teens it may be the opposite sex), (Let campers come up with what excites them). When we talk with someone that is interested in the same things we are, we may say “That is a man or woman after my own heart”.
“What do you think God is excited about? What is His heart passion? (John 3:16 – God’s love for us – so much that He gave His son for us…)
2. A HATEFUL HEART “To have a heart like someone else” may also mean that they “Hate” or dislike” the same things we do. It can be simple things like broccoli or liver or a sports team, or it can be more passionate things like hating when people get away with certain crimes, abortion, etc…“What do you think God hates?” The answer of course is “SIN!”. Romans 3:23 and 6:23. David hurt when God hurt!
3. A BIG HEART. David had a “Big Heart” He was generous and caring toward others. He was willing to go out of his way to help others. This is one reason he was so liked as king.
4. A SMALL HEART David also had a “Small Heart.” Psalms 29 He realized just how big God was and how small he was.
5. AN OPEN HEART David had an “Open Heart” . Psalms 139:23-24 His heart and life was an “Open Book” to God. There was nothing hid . God knew it ALL!
6. A TESTED HEART David had an “Examined Heart” He asked God to examine his heart and show him his evil ways and just what he needed to work on. To examine means to totally investigate, test and search. A doctor examines us from head to toe to see what ails us and to see what does not ail us.
7. A PRAYING HEART. David had a “Praying Heart”
He had a personal relationship with God—not just “religion”. He was very honest with God when he talked with Him daily. He poured out his heart and shared everything with God—Big and small. The Book of Psalms contains his relationship with God. He also read and understood God’s Word. It was his lifeline. In Psalm 119 every verse contains something about God’s Word.
8. A CONFESSING HEART. David had a “Confessing Heart”.
When he sinned (and he did sin) he confessed that sin to His God. “Confess” means to agree with God and admit that you sinned against God. 1 John 1:9. Psalm 51 contains David’s confession of sin when he had an affair with Bathsheba.
1 Samuel 13: The difference between King Saul and David is that when Saul sinned against God he did not confess it or admit that he was wrong. Then he tried to hide his sin from God, Samuel and others. He only made excuses for doing wrong. David confessed his sin before God and admitted that he did wrong. His heart was heavy and hurting because he sinned against God.
9. A FAITHFUL HEART Above all David had a “Faithful Heart”. The first of the 10 commandments says “You shall have no other gods before Me..” God called him “a man after His own heart” mainly because in all of David’s life he remained faithful to God and did not worship any other gods. That does not mean that David never sinned, but in all he did The one True God was his God and ONLY his God!)
A SAVED HEART. To really have a “Heart After God’s Own Heart" it begins with:
1. Knowing Christ as Savior and having a relationship with God.
2. Daily “walking with God” Talking with God and sharing your heart with Him. David was known for his relationship with God.
3. Reading Gods Word the Bible. This is God’s “Love Letter to us” and instructions on how to live the Christian Life.
4. Spending time with others who also walk with God. Bible Study, Church, Young Peoples. Etc…
David was a “Man after the heart of God.”
#1: He was a MAN. He was anything but perfect. He struggled with sin, just like we do. Even though he became a national hero, he was A MAN who sinned and failed more than he succeeded. He murdered a man, committed adultery, and killed thousands of men in battle.
#2: When he did sin, it broke his heart, because he knew he had sinned against a Holy God. Psalms 51 tells of David’s heart concerning his sin with Bathsheba.
#3: He walked with God and had a deep and passionate relationship with God. He knew how to talk with God. David was very honest and upfront when he talked with God. It was like sharing with his best friend. He shared his emotions, his passions, his heart with God.
Where did David learn to have this kind of relationship with God?
1. It began before he was a Shepherd by. He learned it from his parents and their Godly example. They took him to Temple (church) every week and taught him the truths of God’s Word and how to pray to God.
2. He learned it when he was a little shepherd boy taking care of his father’s sheep. David had learned to rely on God and share everything with Him. The lessons he learned taking care of sheep, helped to make him the great king that he became.
Life as a shepherd boy was not easy. It meant hard work, endless hours (24/7) with dirty, smelly temperamental sheep. Shepherds were considered 2nd class citizens (almost outcasts) and many of them had a bad reputation as thieves and untrustworthy. If you spent 24/7 with sheep and seldom took a bath after walking after sheep all day, what would people think of you?
David spent a lot of lonely, quiet nights when it was just him and the sheep. How do you think he spent those hours? What would he do if the sheep were restless and wouldn’t lie down? (Perhaps play music on his harp and sing to them. Remember that most of the Psalms were written by David and were actually set to music (Psalters). David spent much of this time getting to know his God – prayer, worship, singing)
God used all of this to train David and to get him ready to be the next king of Israel.
