Growing up a church girl, I was never a David fan. I flat out didn’t like him. The unfaithful, the murderer. He already had 8 wives, yet he took the only thing his most loyal servant, Uriah treasured. Uriah was the man willing to die for him who would not leave his side, but he had him killed due to his own guilt. 2 Samuel 11 Yet, with all the greats in the history of the bible, David is the only one that God considered pure. A man after God’s own heart. How can that be? I really struggled with this, asking, “why God do you call David a man after your own heart? Why not Job who was stripped of everything, yet stayed loyal to you? Why not Moses, why not Noah, who served you with great faith and obedience?”

God testified, ‘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

He then spoke to my heart and revealed, “it’s not because David was perfect, yet because he was humble, repentant and had a pure heart.” All throughout the Psalms we see this desperate cry and raw emotion from David. In one verse he’s crying out, “God, why have you forsaken me!” then you read in the very next verse, “Yet you are enthroned as the holy one. I will forever trust you.” He laid out his heart wide open in such complete honesty, holding nothing back before his king.

I know that is what he seeks in us. Not a perfect, performance based faith but a humble and pure heart. Free of selfish motive, pride and self reliance. For we are nothing without him. We can do nothing on our own and everything belongs to Him. Once we hold fast to that truth, God is well pleased. When we come to him with a humble and pure heart, he begins to use us in ways we could never imagine. We were created be his light in this dark world. To make an unerasable mark.

Lord, forgive me of pride, selfish motive and any way in me that doesn’t please you. Purify my heart.

Oh and I kinda like David now. 😉