A Man After God's Own Heart

Leadership: Larry Thomas
Saturday, January 1, 2005

David’s passion to pursue God's heart fostered a powerful communion between him and God. In fact a bond so powerful that the very words of their conversations still inspire millions seeking after God's heart. From this special relationship we can observe four key insights into how God molded David through their intimate encounters.

  • David's communion with God supported his sense of destiny.
  • David was transparent in his relationship with God. The full range of David's emotion poured out in David’s discourse with his King.
  • David reflected on commonplace experiences of his boyhood shepherding to gain new insights into God's heart.
  • David saw God everywhere.

Intimacy with Jesus forms the core of our inner being. Solomon, King of Israel, wrote in Proverbs, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life" (4:23). The power to lead and minister comes from the inner life. This was the focus area of Paul's life: to know Christ intimately (Philippians 3:10). He saw this as a lifelong pursuit that needed multiple inputs.

The ultimate responsibility of the spiritual leader is to share the heart of God with the people of God. This cannot happen if the leader does not know the heart of God. This kind of intimacy comes from an intentional and frequent cultivation of a personal relationship that draws from every life experience.

David felt very close to God. That was because he looked for God all of the time and in every situation. He lived up to God’s assessment voiced to Samuel. He truly was a person who sought after God's heart. His mission reflected God's mission.

Remember, to be more in love with Jesus today than when we first met him, he must be Lord in our lives, not just Lord when we desire. Finish well.