Pursue God's Heart

After removing Saul,

he made David their king.

He testified concerning him:

'I have found David son of Jesse 

a man after my own heart;

he will do everything I want him to do.'"

Acts 13:22

The nine-foot giant terrified every soldier, bellowing intimidating threats towards the army of God.  "C'mon.  Send me one of your men, worthy and experienced who can give me a run for my money.  I'm looking for a challenge.  Have you no one to accept my dare?  Have you no honor?"

The men of Israel looked around at each other, terrified.  "Who is stupid enough to take on this behemoth of a fighting machine?  Not me!"

The taunting and intimidation went on for forty days while the soldiers cowered in fear.  Finally a mere shepherd boy who had come to bring his older soldier-brothers some food, stepped forward to take on the challenge of the giant bully.  "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.  This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head.  Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.  All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all you into our hands." (1 Samuel 17:45-47)

One thing I can say about David is he sure had nerve.  What made a lowly field hand, a measly boy, think he could take on such a seasoned soldier?  It was his heart.  There was something about David's heart that set him apart from all the other men of Israel.  Anyone who possesses these special qualities is pursuing God's own heart, just like David.

Pure Motives

I don't like to admit when I'm wrong.  Somehow, I feel like I'm diminishing myself in some way; as if in making this confession that I am announcing that I'm less of a person.  In a way, I guess that is true.  Coming to terms with my own sinful nature and my need for Jesus in becoming more than a conqueror is key to getting closer to God and living authentically with Him.  (Romans 8:37, 1 Corinthians 15:57)  I have learned that I can't both please God and hold onto my pride.

In this way, David was well aware of his sin.  This is never more painfully evident than after Nathan, the prophet, confronted him regarding the murder and adultery David committed while pursuing Bathsheba.  Once the realization hit David, and his prideful front was dropped, he cried out, "I have sinned against the LORD." (2 Samuel 12:13)

David was no longer concerned with his own desires, his schemes, or his kingly position.  Instead, he bared his soul before the One whom he had offended and put himself in the hands of the Lord, knowing God would justly give him whatever punishment he deserved. (Psalm 51:3-4)

There are many times when I'm caught in a sin and I try to justify my actions, make excuses for my behavior or give reasons for my attitude.  If, instead, I could see my sin as an affront to God, I could live more authentically with Him.  All pretenses would be dropped and I could honestly live before Him, knowing that my one desire is to draw closer to God, not to defend myself or make sure I'm taken care of.

British Bible teacher and speaker Oswald Chambers said, "God wants to bring you into union with Himself, but unless you are willing to give up your right to yourself He cannot."  Letting go of all drive toward self-promotion, self-preservation and self-gratification leaves me able to let Jesus be Lord of my life.

I pursue God's heart when I rid my heart of everything selfish and purely focus on pleasing Him.

Obedience

I volunteer with the Homeowner's Association in my neighborhood.  If I need some help, I tend to ask those who I know will do what I ask and follow through with completing the task.  If a person has a poor track record and doesn't usually fulfill a job, I won't ask them again but rather give the assignment to someone who I know will get the job done.

In the same way, God knows whether He can trust me to do what He has asked of me.  David could be trusted by God to obey him.  Even though David didn't always pay attention to what God said to do, such as when Uzzah was struck down for touching the ark of the covenant when David had it transported like a common idol on a cart pulled by oxen, God could count on David to eventually come around and get it right.  (2 Samuel 6)

There are many times when I try to do something good, but I don't give a thought to God and His will.  Instead, I go about trying to please God in my own way, using my own understanding.  I think, if I volunteer more in the church then He'll be happy with my service.  Or I mistakenly believe that the more I do to help others, the more pleased He will be.  Other times I get caught up in the false belief that building a resume filled with important ministries will impress God.

God does not look at things the same way I do.  He is not a CEO interviewing for an important position in His company, looking for training, experience and references.  Instead, He looks at my heart and knows if I'll obey.  Willingness to do as God has asked is key to pleasing Him. As nineteenth century American evangelist D.L. Moody said, "There are many of us who are willing to do great things for the Lord, but few of us are willing to do little things."

I pursue God's heart when I am willing to do whatever the Lord asks of me.

Belief in God's Power

I am one of the most insecure people I know.  As a teenager, I briefly held a job as a life guard at a water park.  It didn't take long for me to realize that I was too indecisive for such a position.  When disaster strikes, a swimmer in trouble needs a clear-thinking, fast-acting savior, not a hesitant, uncertain wanna-be.  Consequently, I found another job for that summer.

This reminds me of how I should be with God.  Not so much that I should be confident in my ability to do the right thing, have the correct answer, or proclaim the godly message at just the right time, but that I know how mighty and powerful God is.  When I put my full trust in God, I won't hesitate to act when the time comes.  Instead of wavering, I'll jump into action.

A person after God's own heart is not perfect, well-trained, nor experienced.  Rather, those who are going after what pleases God believe God can do anything, in spite of human frailties. 

When David stood before Goliath, he didn't draw confidence from his own ability to fight or even hurl a stone with accuracy.  He did have skills with a sling, but his courage came from knowing that God would fight the battle for him, just as He had done many times before when David faced lions who threatened his sheep.  David believed in the power of God.

Maybe if Moses had been able to see David's example before he encountered the burning bush, he wouldn't have been so hesitant.  Instead, he kept asking God for reassurance in the mission Moses was called to in delivering His people from slavery.  Finally, God reminded Him of who would go with him.  "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind?  Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." (Exodus 4:11)

Moses still faltered, angering God who ended up appointing his brother, Aaron, as the mouthpiece for Moses.  His insecurities kept him from fully witnessing God's power working through him in the way God intended.  Instead, he had to settle for watching God's words flow from his brother's mouth.

I miss out on God's hand working through me when my insecurities keep me from trusting God. My weaknesses are not too much for God to overcome.  Trusting God despite my flaws pleases Him.

I pursue God's heart when I obey despite the overwhelming evidence of my own inadequacies.

David was not without sin, perfectly obedient or free from flaws.  Instead, his motives were pure in that he was willing to repent, he was ready to do as the Lord asked of him, and he believed God could overcome his own weaknesses.  In short, David was a man in pursuit of God's own heart.

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I can look beyond my weaknesses and trust in God alone.

When do I fail to obey because I'm afraid I'll mess things up?

How do I show my lack of trust in God by caving into my own insecurities?

Living with Hope

"Delight yourself in the LORD

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD;

trust in him and he will do this:

He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,

the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;

do not fret when men succeed in their ways,

when they carry out their wicked schemes. . .

those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land."

Psalm 37:4-9

I think we can all agree that life is hard.  Tragedies hit out of nowhere.  Illness strikes when I least expect it.  Loved ones are ripped out of this life before I get a chance to say, "good-bye."  Pain and suffering is all around me.  Life is hard.

If it wasn't for the hope of eternity with Jesus, it would be impossible to endure.  Thankfully, I can look forward to the time when, "He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:4)  Now that's something to which I can look forward!

It reminds me of the time our family planned a trip to Disney World.  For months we saved funds and made plans.  Our daughters saved spending money from what they earned dog walking and babysitting.  We studied the Disney website and literature designed to familiarize ourselves with the parks and decide which attractions we really wanted to see.  Excitement began to build and the mundane difficulties of our day-to-day lives faded in light of the anticipation of our upcoming trip.  

In the same way, I am able to endure the difficulties of life in light of the anticipation of my upcoming residency in a place with no struggles, no pain and no suffering.   Heaven gives me hope.  But I must continue living here where God has placed me.  I cannot live with my head in the clouds, creating my own reality where I ignore what's going on around me.  I'm here for a purpose.

Thankfully, God has given me some guidance in how to live for Him while I wait for the time when I will live with Him!

Delight

When I think of the meaning of the word "delight,"  I think of my dogs.  They exhibit a high degree of exuberance and joy upon my return from an outing.  It doesn't matter if I've only been gone for an hour, they greet me with great pleasure and enthusiasm.  Their tails wag intensely as their tongues loll out of their mouths and their eyes shine with excitement.  They absolutely delight in my presence!

Apart from sprouting a tail and learning to drool like a dog, how can I delight in the LORD?  One way is to enjoy and revel in the study of His Word.   God teaches that the blessed man is one who finds that, "his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night." (Psalm 1:4)  

I can either read the Bible daily and check that off my things-to-do list, or I can conduct an intense study of His Word, examining references and looking up the meaning of the terms.  I can apply it to my life, meditating on what I learned throughout the day, asking God to show me the lesson found there.  The Bible is more than just a book of advice, it is, "living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."  (Hebrews 4:12)

As I delight in Him, He will change my priorities and list of requirements needed to live.  Oswald Chamber wrote in My Utmost for His Highest that my life itself is the, ". . . essential thing. . . wherever you may go, even if it is into hell, you will come out with your life, nothing can harm it.  So many of us are caught up in the show of things, not in the way of property and possessions, but of blessings.  All these have to go; but there is something grander that never can go--the life that is 'hid with Christ in God.'"  

All I really need is God, and as I delight in Him, He will change the desires of my heart to line up with that truth.  

Commit

My husband and I have been married for 23 years.  We made a pledge before God, obligating ourselves to the marriage.  Because of this commitment, we have stayed together despite disagreements, hurt feelings or times when affection was lacking.  This kind of vow takes a confidence in the integrity of the institution of marriage despite what I see, hear or feel.  My sense of obligation keeps me rooted to the relationship.  

In the same way, I have a relationship with God through faith in Jesus, but entrusting my plans to God takes faith.  Faith involves taking a step into the darkness without knowing whether or not there will be something solid to hold my weight.  Faith, however, know the One in whom I place my trust is faithful to guide and provide.  As Oswald Chambers said, "Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading."

Committing my way to the LORD means entrusting every part of my life to Him, letting Him have  His way.  But perhaps 19th Century Evangelist Dwight L. Moody said it best.  "The sweetest lesson I have learned in God's school is to let the Lord choose for me."  Trusting God doesn't mean I can make my plans and then ask Him to bless them, but rather to hand the reigns over to Him.

If I can make the same commitment to God as I did to my husband, unconditionally trusting Him, He has promised to make me able to stand in the sun without guilt or shame.  The blood of Jesus covers my sin when I commit my life to Him and accept Him as my personal Savior.  In so doing, I become innocent in God's eyes, relieving me of the burden of past, present and future sins.  


Making Jesus Lord of my life means letting Him have His way.  In turn, He gives me a spotless and innocent appearance before Him. 

Wait

Deals made behind closed doors.  Payment for service "under the table."  Conflicts of interest. Improper handling of tax payer funds.  Pilfering of finances to feed a gambling addiction.  Wherever I look, wicked schemes are taking place: Plots designed to benefit the planner, conspiracies thought up to further a dark plot, or a ploy intended for evil.  There's no doubt that immorality flourishes in this fallen world.

Even so, no sin goes unpunished.  Either Jesus has already paid the price for the sins of His followers, or the unrepentant sinner will face the consequences of eternal death.  Justice will be served.

In the meantime, I am called to quietly and untiringly wait for God to act.  He reminds me in Deuteronomy 32:35 that, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay.  In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them."   I can trust God to punish evil, both now and in eternity.

Until then, the Apostle Paul gave some advice in Romans 12:17-20.  "Do not repay anyone evil for evil.  If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.  Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath. . . On the contrary, 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.  In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.'"

While I wait on God to enact justice on those who do me wrong, it is up to me to treat them with the same respect I would show to a friend.

This world is a difficult place in which to live, but as I wait to enter my eternal home, I have been given a plan.  I can take great delight in God,  make a commitment to Him and wait patiently for Him to act.  In this way I will glorify God with my life as I receive a new outlook, a clean countenance and the assurance of true justice for the wickedness going on around me.  

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can let go of all my expectations for my life and let God choose the way He wants me to go.

When do I try to take matters into my own hands, robbing God of the chance to enact His justice.

How can I love and treasure God above all other things? 

Victory is Ours!

"Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love?

Does it mean he no longer loves us

if we have trouble or calamity,

or are persecuted, 

or hungry,

or destitute,

or in danger,

or threatened with death?

No, despite all these things, 

overwhelming victory is ours through Christ,

who loved us."

Romans 8: 35, 37 NLT

Death is all around me.  The collapse of a 20+ year marriage.  The ruin of a young person's faith in God.  The passing away of respect for elders.  The turning of a believer away from the Truth.  The loss of hope once grasped so firm.y but which now seems so feeble.  All of these deaths overwhelm me.  Thankfully, there is a reason for optimism.

Victory is already mine through the astounding plan of salvation carried out through Jesus' death on the cross.  God has already fought all these battles and won, but I am failing to claim the victory!  As Oswald Chambers said, "The Cross is the point where God and sinful man merge with a crash and the way to life is opened--but the crash is on the heart of God."  He paid the awful price, making possible what was once impossible: Living life to the full.

Through Christ's death, I can now claim victory.

Separation

As an Army wife, I know a little something about living apart from the one I love.  When my husband was on active duty, he would spend months at a time deployed to some far off, dangerous place while I stayed at home taking care of the family.  

The first time he left when our marriage was only months old, I thought I would not survive!  It was as if a part of me was ripped away and I was expected to continue living as if nothing was missing.  My heart yearned for him!  I was bleeding from the wound.

This is how it is with me and God.  I need Him.  I was made for Him. I am incomplete without Him.  As the psalmist sang, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God." (Psalm 42:1)  


The problem is, no matter how much I want to be close to Him, I am separated from Him by a vast chasm created by my sin.  I cannot get to My Love!


God, in His infinite foresight and mercy, made a way for me to traverse the canyon of sin and get to my God.  That bridge was erected when Jesus, being God in the flesh and as such carried no sin of His own, took my transgressions upon Himself, bearing the punishment that was meant for me, the offender.  


God's just nature requires the punishment of death and separation from His holiness for my failure to perfectly adhere to His law.  But His grace was manifested in the sacrifice of His Only Son on the cross, repairing my relationship to the Father and making a way for me to live eternally.  


Through Christ's death, I can now claim victory from the separation between me and God.  

Condemnation

Disapproval comes so naturally to me as a human.  I can easily see the faults of others. In the interest of fairness, though, I must point out that I am not alone in this proclivity.  Consequently, it is not surprising that I often fall victim to the criticism of others. It is human nature for each one of us to put ourselves in the position of judge and jury.


Radio talk show host and Bible teacher Steve Brown puts it this way: "It's worth noting that Jesus didn't condemn bad people.  He condemned "stiff" people.  We condemn the bad ones and affirm the stiff ones."  I am stiff when I fail to see my own sin and only notice others' failings.


Jesus Christ set us free from condemnation of any kind, either that which is dished out or that which is received. But more importantly, He saved us from the right and just condemnation of God. The Apostle Paul teaches in Romans 8:1-3 the following: 


 "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.  For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering." 


The blame I deserve for failing to perfectly adhere to God's law no longer falls upon my shoulders, resulting in my death.  Instead, I can enjoy life free from the weight of the penalty my sins deserve through faith in Jesus Christ.


Since I am so freely forgiven, how can I then turn and condemn others as wrong?  Jesus did not condemn.  If I truly accept the forgiveness He offers me for my transgressions, then I can put the sins of others into His hands as well.


Jesus said it best when He proclaimed, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."  (John 3:16-17)


Through Christ's death, I am saved and can now claim victory over condemnation of any kind.

Death

One of the most moving moments of the crucifixion was when Jesus uttered the words, "It is finished."    (John 19:30)  The terrible price had been paid.  His blood had been shed.   Our salvation from the penalty of death had been secured. 

I need not fear the death of my physical body anymore because that is not the end of my existence.  Death now becomes a transition from one reality to another;  from earth to heaven, from physical to spiritual, from momentary to eternal.  

Nineteenth Century Evangelist D.L. Moody is known to have said, "Some day you will read in the papers that D.L Moody of East Northfield is dead.  Don't you believe a word of it!  At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now; I shall have gone up higher, that is all, out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal--a body that death cannot touch, that sin cannot taint; a body fashioned like unto His glorious body." 

As one who has been saved by the grace of God that is found in Jesus Christ, I can celebrate that, "Death has been swallowed up in victory. . . The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God!  He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:54, 56-57)

Through Christ's death, I can now claim victory over death!

The death of Jesus Christ secured victory over my separation from a holy God that sin requires, the condemnation that my sin deserves and I so easily dish out, and the worry of the inevitable; death.  Through faith in Jesus, I can live as a conqueror!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can remember all that Jesus' death accomplished. 

How do I live as though I'm not forgiven?

When do I keep God at a distance even though Jesus' death made it possible for me to draw near to Him?