And when He had deposed Saul, 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
An obedient son does what he thinks his parents want. If his parents tell him to study, he studies diligently. His grades reflect his hard work. Being a good student, however, does not make this son a person after his father’s heart. Are high marks what his father is really after? Being obedient to his parents and being a person after his parents’ heart may be two different things. It was the same with the judges and God. They were surely trying to serve God the best they could, but not one served God as a person after His heart.
Adapted from David: After God’s Heart, page 13.
Tomorrow: “The Central Matter”