And when He had deposed him, He raised up David for them as king, to whom also He testified and said, I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man according to My heart, who will do all My will.
— Acts 13:22
Paul, Peter, John, Stephen, and even the Lord Jesus all spoke of David. How could a flawed man who committed such great sins become so appreciated? How could he be held up as one who was according to God’s heart and who served his generation? In many ways Saul, the first king of Israel, seemed a better man. God, however, rejected Saul and cherished David. Even the meaning of David’s name is “beloved.” Yet how could God love him when he failed so seriously?
As we read about David, we should be encouraged. May we each tell the Lord, “You know how I fail and how unworthy I feel I am, Lord, yet I still want to be according to Your heart and serve my generation as a proper person.” Without this, many leaders may damage those they lead and do or say things that cause real problems. When it comes to serving the Lord, none are qualified. Therefore, we should be encouraged that the Lord could appreciate someone like David, who, because his heart was right, could still be so greatly used by the Lord. The Lord considered David to be one of His greatest servants. Because of this, I hope we each would tell the Lord, “I give myself to be a person after Your heart, Lord, no matter how discouraging things may be. I may fail and suffer defeat at times. I may even get caught in something very ugly, yet I still want to be a person after Your heart and serve my generation for You.”
Adapted from David: After God’s Heart, page 10.
Tomorrow: “Three Types of Servants (1)”