A Key to being a Man/Woman after God’s Own Heart?

There is one key element about my precious role mode, King David, that won him great favour from God: he ALWAYS consulted Yahweh before making decisions.

When David was caught up with a tough decision to make and all the eyes of Israel were upon him, he did not look to his strength, knowledge or experience but to the Lord. He knew that he did not have to be impatient with the Lord as his predecessor King Saul was in I Samuel 15 which resulted in his rejection and replacement as king.

Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived (except for Jesus of course – Matthew 12:42 ) wrote these words:

What great words of wisdom! And David his father followed them to the fullest (could it be that he taught his son Solomon this principle?). Except, of course, for one occasion in II Samuel 24 when he decide to do as census of Israel without the Lord’s approval.

Learn to follow God and to acknowledge him in ALL your ways, no matter how small or big, and your ways shall be established (Psalm 37:4-5). Do not be led by your feelings because the scriptures tell us that believers are to be led not by feelings or circumstances but by the Word (Psalm 119:105), by faith (Romans 1:17) and by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14-16).

In I Samuel 30 when the Amalekites had burned David’s city (Ziklag) with fire and kidnapped all the women and children of David and his 600 valiant men, when they saw the charred remains of their homes the scripture says that they wept until they could weep no more (think about that for a moment!). And the people thought of stoning David because they thought that it was all his fault being their leader. What did he do? Did he quickly appease his men by ordering that he and his men chase after the Amalekites and save time? I mean the more time they waste the more in danger their families are right? What did David do? Well, he did what few could even think about doing at such a distressful time.

Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.” – I Samuel 30:6-8

David did just as the Lord instructed him and he recovered ALL (everything) and even added a great spoil to that which they did not have before.

In II Samuel 5:17-21 David inquired of the Lord whether he should attack the Philistines who had come up against him (and yet he had been successful in ALL his battles thus far) and God assured him of victory which he easily got because of the Lord’s favour upon him. But a few days later the Philistines gathered again to attack David and he could have easily attacked them and won because David obviously had Yahweh’s heart. What did he do? He still consulted God. And what did God say to him this time?

Then the Philistines went up once again and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim. Therefore David inquired of the Lord, and He said, “You shall not go up; circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the Lord will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” And David did so, as the Lord commanded him; and he drove back the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer. – II Samuel 5:22-25

Same circumstances but different instructions from the Lord in a space of a few days. David did not put trust in the past experiences but only in the will of God. This is where we miss it many times. In fact in II Samuel 7 the prophet Nathan when David asked him whether he should build a house for the Lord he replied:

…do all that is in thine heart; for the Lord is with thee. – II Samuel 7:3

But God quickly sent Nathan the next day to tell David that His desire was not that David should build Him a house (his hands were bloody hence he could not build it) but that God would actually build him a house, a dynasty, a kingdom that will be ruled forever by his descendant – Jesus Christ. Nathan knew that the Lord was with David and thought that he did not need to consult the Lord over this matter but God corrected him immediately.

David’s inquires are found in the following texts of scripture:

David’s 1st Inquiry – I Samuel 23:1-3
David’s 2nd Inquiry – I Samuel 23:4-5
David’s 3rd Inquiry – I Samuel 23:10-11
David’s 4th Inquiry – I Samuel 23:12-14
David’s 5th Inquiry – I Samuel 30:8-9
David’s 6th Inquiry – II Samuel 2:1-2
David’s 7th Inquiry – II Samuel 5:17-21
David’s 8th Inquiry – II Samuel 5:22-25
David’s 9th Inquiry – II Samuel 21:1

Even when God was punishing David for his sin of conducting the census (because the king was putting trust in horses and chariots instead of the Lord – Psalm 20:7; Jeremiah 17:5), when God gave David three things to choose of which he would suffer through Gad the Seer, David responded:

“…I am in great distress; let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into human hands.” – II Samuel 24:14.

And God chose which fate he and Israel would suffer for his mistake as David had requested of the Lord.

To be men and women after God’s own heart we should learn to Trust in the LORD, lean not on our understanding but in ALL our ways acknowledge Him and He will surely direct your path. To be in His WILL(not yours) is the most important thing.

If you are not saved, that is, born-again please read this article here and accept Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Saviour and Love. He loves you too much. Please make this decision today, you will never regret it.