Day 178 – End of Study

As I close the study of David and take a final look at how to pursue God and be called, like David, a man after God's own heart, I noticed that I must:

1. Develop a heart that God can see.

"But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart."

1 Samuel 16:7

This is where the study of David really began. Samuel saw Jesse's older sons and naturally looked at what was impressive. God was looking somewhere else. He was looking at the heart.

If I want to be a man after God's heart, I cannot spend all my effort trying to look right before people while neglecting what God sees within me. I must ask myself. Am I more concerned about my reputation with people or my relationship with God?

2. I must trust God before the battle, not just call on Him when I am losing.

David's confidence against Goliath did not suddenly appear in the valley. God had already taught him to trust Him when nobody was watching.

"David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee."

1 Samuel 17:37

Then David told Goliath.

"And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands."

1 Samuel 17:47

One habit worth developing is remembering what God has already done. Yesterday's lion and bear helped prepare David for today's giant. Before I panic over the next problem, remember God's previous faithfulness.

3. I must learn to wait on God rather than force God's plan.

David knew he had been anointed king, but Saul was still sitting on the throne. David had opportunities to remove Saul himself.

He refused.

"And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD'S anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD."

1 Samuel 24:6

David teaches me that knowing God's will does not give me permission to accomplish it my own way. Sometimes pursuing God means waiting when I could act. I must stop trying to manipulate circumstances simply because I believe I know what the outcome ought to be. I should wait for God to open the door.

4. I must strengthen myself in the LORD when everything around me falls apart.

One of David's lowest moments came at Ziklag. Their families had been taken, the city burned, and David's own men talked about stoning him.

"And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God."

1 Samuel 30:6

But I noticed where David found his strength, "in the LORD his God."

There will be times when nobody around me can encourage me. If my walk with God depends entirely upon somebody else keeping me spiritually strong, I will eventually collapse. I must learn to get alone with God and find strength in Him.

5. I should also ask God for direction instead of assuming I already know what to do.

This repeatedly appeared in David's life. After Saul died, David could have assumed, I'm the anointed king.

Instead he showed me what to do when I face a question in life.

"And it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron."

2 Samuel 2:1

And later

"And David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the LORD said unto David, Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand."

2 Samuel 5:19

And when the enemy returned, David asked again. That is important. Yesterday's answer does not eliminate today's need to seek God. I must pray before deciding, not after deciding.

6. I must never become so comfortable that I stop guarding my heart.

Here is the part of David's life that should warn every Christian.

"And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem."

2 Samuel 11:1

David had defeated Goliath. He had survived Saul. He had become king. God had blessed him tremendously. But past spiritual victories did not protect David from present temptation. He saw Bathsheba, inquired after her, took her, and then tried to cover his sin. One sinful decision began producing another. I must never allow spiritual success to make me spiritually careless. There is no point in my Christian life when I can say, "I've grown enough. I don't need to guard my heart anymore."

7. I must be willing to say, "I have sinned."

Nathan confronted David.

"And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man."

2 Samuel 12:7

David could have defended himself. He could have blamed Bathsheba, circumstances, pressure, loneliness, or his position. Instead he told Nathan,

"And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die."

2 Samuel 12:13

One of the clearest characteristics I discovered in David was not that David never sinned. He certainly did. It was that when God confronted David, David could finally admit, "I have sinned against the LORD." I must stop explaining or making excuses of my sin and start confessing it.

8. I must remember that forgiveness does not always remove consequences.

David was forgiven, but his decisions affected his family for years afterward. Nathan told David,

"Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife."

2 Samuel 12:10

Then came Amnon, Tamar, Absalom, family division, rebellion, and tremendous grief. David's life teaches me something sobering. Sin can be forgiven while consequences remain. I should not treat private choices as though they have only private consequences.

9. I must deal with problems instead of allowing them to grow.

This became especially evident within David's family. David loved his children, but at critical moments he failed to deal decisively with serious problems. Amnon's sin was followed by Absalom's anger, murder, estrangement, bitterness, conspiracy, and rebellion.

Small unresolved problems became enormous ones. This gives me a practical habit worth changing, I should not confuse avoiding conflict with keeping peace. Some problems become worse because I refuse to address them biblically when they are still manageable.

10. I must not allow bitterness or betrayal to determine my character.

David experienced betrayal repeatedly. Saul hunted him, trusted people turned against him, and eventually his own son Absalom tried to take his kingdom. Yet even when Absalom rebelled, David still loved him. Even when Absalom died the Bible says,

"And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!"

2 Samuel 18:33

David's grief reminds me that winning an argument, defeating an enemy, or being proven right does not necessarily mean I have won what matters most. I must guard my heart when people disappoint, betray, or hurt me.

11. I must worship God in victory, sorrow, correction, and loss.

David worshipped when the ark came to Jerusalem. He worshipped when God established his kingdom. He also worshipped when his child died.

"Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat."

2 Samuel 12:20

That may be one of the greatest lessons from David's life. David's circumstances changed repeatedly. His God did not. I need to make sure I do not make worship dependent upon whether life is presently going the way I wanted.

12. I must finish by pointing the next generation toward God.

At the end of David's life, his attention turned toward Solomon.

1 Kings 2:2-3 took me just beyond my 1 and 2 Samuel reading, but it showed where David's life ultimately pointed.

"I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man; And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:"

1 Kings 2:2-3

David had learned through victories and painful failures that the most important thing he could leave Solomon was not merely a kingdom. It was a charge to walk with God.

The question David leaves me with is,

When Samuel first came looking for a king, David was not the man everybody else would have chosen. But God said,

"But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee."

1 Samuel 13:14

After everything I have read about David, I understand that statement better. Being a man after God's own heart did not mean David never failed. He failed terribly. It meant that beneath all the victories, failures, corrections, tears, worship, and repentance, David kept coming back to God.

So perhaps the final question of my entire study should be,

"What am I pursuing?"

Because if I truly want to be a man after God's own heart, then my habits, decisions, reactions, repentance, worship, relationships, and priorities should increasingly reveal a heart that is pursuing Him.