A Man After God's Own Heart

Our friends Brandon and Clarissa came back to Westbury last Sunday, with their little girl Kolbe, who was born after they moved to Dallas.  We got to spend a little time with them Sunday evening.  Kolbe did a few "tricks" for us, and we clapped for her.  Suddenly, my son Will piped up.  "Would you like to hear me play my violin?" he asked.  I was a bit stunned.  It's not easy making Will practice his violin.  He never volunteers.  But he played, we clapped, and I remembered how I was that same way as a kid. We all were.  Some of us were more naturally extroverted, born performers, while others were more quiet and reclusive, but we all longed for that affirmation, that signal from others that we had done well.

That doesn't change when we grow up.  Most of us spend our whole lives looking for that affirmation. Some of us look to our spouses.  Some of us look to our parents, hoping we can finally please them.  Others look to our peer groups for that acceptance, that feeling of being “in the club.”  Still others crave the recognition that comes with success in their chosen field.  And then there are those whose own worst critic is themselves.  

But there is really only one person whose opinion about us matters.  Someday, every one of us will stand before a judgment seat and give an accounting of our lives.  And the person on that throne won’t be your spouse, your parent, or your boss.  It will be the one who knows you best, the one who created you and has watched every moment of your life.  And if you find that to be a terrifying thought, it’s because that’s exactly what it is.  But I know of one man who got it right, who lived a life that pleased the Lord.  In Acts 13:22, it says that God called David “A man after my own heart.”  I am not saying David is the only person who ever lived a life pleasing to God, but he’s the only one in Scripture given that title.  And furthermore, God was good enough to give us a very vivid and detailed picture of David’s life in the Bible.  We know pretty much every major event in his life from the time he was a teenager to his death at the age of 70.  So what was it about David that pleased God so much?  What in Him should we seek to emulate, so that at the most important moment in our lives, the ultimate final exam, we will pass with flying colors? This week, we'll take a look at that very important question, taking a long view of David's life.  If you're reading through the Bible with us, we're right in the thick of David's story, so you might come into the sermon Sunday with your own ideas.  I'll be interested to see afterwards if you agree with the answer I come up with.