ACTS 13:16-22 – “So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: “Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen. The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. And for about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. And after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance. All this took about 450 years. And after that he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’”
THEME OF THE DAY: THE SINCERE CHRISTIAN. Today’s scripture is the part of the Apostle Paul’s message given in the synagogue located at Antioch in Pisidia. It is passionate preaching from a passionate preacher that contains Israel’s history, their rebellion against God, His provision for them, the desire of them to have an earthly king like other nations, and a declaration by the Lord about the king He would raise up for them – David.
The declaration our Lord makes about David would be one of the highest forms of affirmation a person ever received from Him – “I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do my will.”
Just imagine for a second the Lord looking at us, knowing our hearts and lives, then saying, “I know you are after My heart.” It would be like what the Lord said to Satan about Job – “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. The LORD said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” (Job 1:6-8).
What would be required of us for the Lord to say these wonderful words about us? First, what is not required – perfect obedience. That isn’t happening this side of heaven. David sure lacked it. Job too and every other human being ever to live or will live. So, what would be required of us? There are a lot of Biblical exhortations given to believers in this area, but one really stands out. I would go as far as to say, “There is one thing above all other things the Lord requires of us if we are a people after His own heart, blameless, upright, who walk in His fear, and avoid all evil. It is found in the last verse in the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians – “Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible” (Ephesians 6:24).
Other translations read – “them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity”; “who have undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ”; “who have unfailing love for our Lord Jesus Christ”; “who sincerely love our Lord Jesus Christ”; and “who love our Lord Jesus Christ with constancy”. I think we read the idea. . . more than anything, the Lord delights in our sincerity of love and devotion to Him. We could define sincerity in terms like we don’t live dual lives; we aren’t one thing at home and another at church.
To be a man or woman after God’s own heart is not to be perfect in our obedient love to and for Him but to be sincere and consistent in our love to and for Him.
PRAYER: Father, let me so live before You that You would be able to say, “You are after My own heart.”
REFLECTION: There is no greater affirmation to receive than when God says, “You really do love Me.”