David, A Man After God's Own Heart

(this one is about a week late, since by the time I post it I will be hearing another sermon, but better late than never!)

Last Sunday's sermon was another in my pastor's continuing series on "Great Stories of the Bible." As my title indicates, the sermon was about David, and specifically about the story of David and Goliath. Many good points about this story were brought out, but the one that particularly stuck with me, was the point Pastor Voigt made about David being "a man after God's own heart." (Acts 13:22)

That phrase had often bothered me. After all, David was an adulterer, he was a murderer in "arranging" the death of Bathsheba's husband. David made quite a few other mistakes that are documented in the Bible. In other words David was a SINNER. How could he be "a man after God's own heart?" Pastor Voigt answered that for me quite nicely in his sermon. David was a man after God's own heart, in other words what God's heart wanted was what David's heart wanted!

You see, I had been misinterpreting that phrase all these years. I had taken it as David's actions were what David's heart wanted. I should have been understanding the phrase in light of Romans 7:14-20 "For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me."

Just as in Paul's flesh dwelt no good thing, neither did any good thing dwell in David's flesh, and obviously no good thing dwells in my flesh. But now, in the spirit, that's a whole different matter! It all makes a little more sense to me now.