Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Talk Tuesday-In Pursuit of His Heart

When the children of Israel came out of Egypt and settled in the promised land of Canaan, GOD gave them judges to rule over the land for a period of about 150 yrs., until the arrival of Samuel the prophet. The people asked the LORD for a king, to be like the nations that surrounded them. First, He appointed Saul, the son of Kish, as King over Israel. Yet, his heart was prone to follow after the wishes of the people more than after GOD's will. In the end he was deposed because of disobedience. Samuel says to Saul: "But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be commander over his people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you." 1 Samuel 13:14

When God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint the new King of Israel, the prophet found several of David's brothers who were stronger, taller, more handsome and more regal in physical appearance. Yet the LORD instructed Samuel, saying: "Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart," 1 Samuel 16:7. Of David, son of Jesse, tribe of Judah, God says, "I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will" Acts 13:22.

Whenever you read though the book of Kings and Chronicles in the Bible, you will find a common description preceding the various kings, 'And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of his father David' (i.e. 2 Kings 22:2) or 'And he did not do what was right in the sight of the LORD, as his father David had done' (i.e. 2 Chronicles 28:1).

King David was not a perfect, sinless man. Yet he was a man after God's own heart. I love the LORD. When I think of all the things He has done for Andrew and me, tears of gratitude often spill down my cheeks. David says, "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of them, human beings that You care for them?' Psalm 8:3-4. I know many of us can attest to the goodness and faithfulness of the LORD-unmerited love, mercy and grace. In honour of all that He is, why not live in pursuit of His heart? What a great honour to hear it said that we were a people after God's own heart!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Your post, "In Pursuit of His Heart," was especially meaningful to me for two reasons: (1). I desire with all my heart to live in pursuit of HIS heart and yes, I am still a work in progress. 2. Recently I have been reading about the kings in David's lineage and significant to me to me also "was the common description preceding the various kings, 'And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of his father David' (i.e. 2 Kings 22:2) or 'And he did not do what was right in the sight of the LORD, as his father David had done'" Blessings followed those who 'did what was right in the sight of the Lord." I see my husband striving to walk in pursuit of the Lord and often hear his hearts cry to the Lord for his offsprings to follow his example - 'to strive to live right in the sight of the Lord." Therefore, as I read your post with tears of in my heart, that I continue to desire to live my life 'in pursuit of his heart, today my prayer is that the Lord hears my husband's cry that his offsprings also live in pursuit of GOD'S heart, in this generation and in the generations to come. May God be praised! Thank you kindly for such an awesome post!