APRIL 23,  2 Samuel 24:10;  Psalm 51:10

Have you ever wondered why David was called the “Man after God’s Own Heart”? Wow – that is a super title for a Christian! What special thing did David do to earn that title? How holy was David to deserve   that accolade?

Was he more holy than the other great Old Testament characters? At first glance, he would appear to be worse than many Old Testament characters. Why? Well, we have already read earlier this month that David committed adultery with Bathsheba. On top of that, he committed murder by plotting the death of Bathsheba’s husband. Imagine someone in your church who has committed these sins – would you want him to be your Junior Worship teacher? No! In fact, this person would have been jailed!

Why then was this most precious accolade given to David? It was because of his sensitivity to sin when pointed out to him. Whilst he was not perfect, he was very ready to repent. When Nathan the prophet pointed out he sinned against God by snatching Uriah’s wife, he was repentant. He did not argue and he did not give excuses.

Many believe that David wrote Psalm 51 after he was convicted of his sin by Nathan. In this sad and personal psalm, it is clear from verse 10 David was completely repentant – he wanted a new heart. It is this quality in David – the humility to accept chastisement and repent readily – those were perhaps some reasons why David is called the man after God’s own heart. Are you a child after God’s own heart? Do you repent when someone points out your mistake? Are you grateful when someone is willing to show you where you have made a mistake?

Thought: May I be a child after God’s own heart!
Prayer: Teach me Heavenly Father to be after Your own heart, to be willing to repent, and like David, to ask for a new heart that loves You more and more. This I pray in Jesus’ name, amen