After God’s Own Heart!

At our church the teachings and sermons as of late have had to do allot with David, a man after God’s own heart. Add that to the fact that in my daily Bible readings I’m reading in Psalms, many of which were written by David himself and a person like me can sure see how David was after God’s heart! I was just listening to the CD from last evening’s service and haven’t quite finished it yet but I’m all excited to say the least. In his family David was considered the least but God doesn’t see things the way we people see things, Praise the Lord! No, He sees what’s in a person’s heart. None of the phoney bologna that us folks can put on fools God.

And the way I look at it the story of David can teach a person wanting to find God many things. There’s a common bond even though its three thousand years later now. David was a country boy, the last of all the brothers. Tending the sheep and who knows what else. Out there in the countryside every day while many in the family could pursue what could be seen as better and more important things. Kinda like nowadays when a person farms, family farms. It seems like most folks  just seem so high class with their jobs, their careers, their fancy homes, their toys and such that are boughten to give them satisfaction, boughten because they are looking for something they haven’t found yet, and never will along that path. Oh they go to church, get involved and all, but the heart’s direction is shown loud and clear by just a quick glance at the material toys that are possessed.

Sometimes I think one of the greatest blessings a person can ever have is to be broke. You heard me, broke! That really goes in the face of the modern, very far in the ditch prosperity preaching, but I do believe that aperson has a better chance of turning themselves towards God when there’s nothing standing in between them and their Saviour. And if they ain’t broke and have a nice sum on hand, to act prudently, give generously and stay as simple as possible. Well, David, being the youngest of the brothers didn’t have all to much hope for success in life in the system back in those olden days. And being stuck with the shepherding job all day long, mostly every day, alone, he got to know God! How one might ask that pops into this blog and takes a read? David seen God’s hand in all the creation around him as he was out in the field, he simply would talk with God over the long, long hours alone out there. Kinda like a Christian farmer does nowadays! Hauling manure, working the fields, doing pasture work, whatever, talking with God day in and day out!

I’ve written about this off and on many times over the last few years, talking with God while a person is farming. Alone hour after hour, doing mundane jobs that have people in what is considered a much better society look down their noses at you. It used to bother me, bothered me allot. But over the last couple of years I’ve come to realize that when a farmer spends his day working and talking to God, going after God’s own heart, what the world thinks is really not very important at all. Reading the Word every evening and discussing it during the day with God Almighty is about as fine a life as anyone can ever ask for.

A person could say,”Tom, yes I kinda agree but David was far from perfect”. Exactly! Name one person that “is” perfect! David did some pretty big public crimes and mistakes, but one must remember how we’d act with almost absolute power.That’s not the issue here, the issue is how David would come running back to God for forgiveness, and how God would forgive. In the natural David had to live with the consequences his sins produced, some terrible things, but he always ran back to God and God always forgave. This is the same God as now, no different. A God that is always ready for us to cry out to Him when we screw up bigtime. One who is merciful and forgiving. And most importantly, one who loves us more than any human being could ever imagine! That’s my God!

As I write about how David was after God’s own heart, how David loved God, one thing should be mentioned. David loved God so much that he wouldn’t back down even in the face of the impossible! Take the fight with Goliath for example. No one in all Israel would take Goliath on. David not only took him on, but ran to him in the fight! Because David knew God’s heart, a simple shepherd boy knew God’s heart!

Is something like this possible today with myself, or anyone reading this? The answer is yes! A person can go to church all their life,they can get wisdom beyond belief, but its nothing like going after God’s own heart. While on this earth, in this life, this is my only passion! Day in and day out, to pursue God, to talk with Him all the time, day and night! To Praise His Holy Name! Anyone can do this! We don’t have to be high and might, wealthy and wise, nope, just simple and pursuing a God that could never love us more than He does now. He’s waiting for us to chase Him, to let nothing stop us from finding Him. And like David, when facing opposition, knowing that God is with us all the way!

I added the first part of Psalm 103 tonight. A praise from David!

Psalm 103

A psalm of David.

¹ Let all that I am praise the Lord;
with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
² Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things he does for me.
³ He forgives all my sins
and heals all my diseases.
⁴ He redeems me from death
and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
⁵ He fills my life with good things.
My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

⁶ The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly.

I can just imagine that country boy from three thousand years ago praising God out in the field! I love writing this so much its hard to describe!