Why David Was A Man After God's Own Heart

Psalms 139:17, “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!”

I love the Holy Bible! We read in 1st Samuel 13:14b that the shepherd boy David was, “a man after his [God's] own heart.” Do you know why David was a man after God's own heart? I believe it was because David loved God's thoughts. Psalms 139:17, “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!” If you want to be a believer after God's own heart, then you must love God's thoughts, because thoughts are the blocks and mortar that dictate our words and actions! The man who thinks right speaks right! And the man who thinks wrong lives wrong. Dr. Bob Jones Sr. (1883-1968) is right: “Behind every tragedy in human character is a slow process of wicked thinking.” That is why my favorite Bible verse is Proverbs 4:23, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

Everything in a person's life comes down to the mind. We are what we think! Life is largely what we make it, which is determined by our thought life. This is why the Bible commands every believer to think about edifying things, and not wallow in negativity, hatred, envy, worry and all the bad news that the world has to offer. Philippians 4:8-9, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” Amen and amen!

The Lord was a meek and lowly man, a humble servant, and always thinking of ways to help those around Him. Philippians 2:3-5, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” We live in a very selfish society in America. I rejoice when I hear of people doing sacrificial and selfless things for others. We need a lot more of that nowadays! Christianity makes the difference!!!

I have noticed that oftentimes people who get into trouble with the law have tattoos on their skin. The former mob boss turned Christian, Michael Franzese, now travels around the country evangelizing gang members, trying to lead them to Jesus Christ. Part of his ministry is to convince young people to have their tattoos removed, because tattoos are a part of the underground prison culture in America! You're asking for trouble! Tattoos are worldly marks! I understand that some people get tattoos for a pet that died, or survivors of abuse, or for a loved one who died, et cetera. I never scold people who have tattoos. In fact, I usually tell people that I like their tattoo, because the person is more important than the tattoo. 

That is my opinion as a Baptist preacher. I think we ought to accept who we are, and what God created us to look like, and leave our body alone. God never intended for us to have permanent marks tattooed upon our body. The human body is the temple of the indwelling Holy Spirit, if you are a child of God (1st Corinthians 3:16-17). If you are not saved, your spiritual father is the Devil (John 8:44). I know some people will disagree with me, especially everyone adorning a tattoo on your body. I think it is shameful that millions of young women are having tattoos placed onto their lower backs. They are often refereed to as: “Tramp Stamps.” Prostitutes are notorious for getting tattoos. My advice to every young person is DON'T get a tattoo. Don't drink alcohol, not even one sip. You cannot take the second drink if you don't take the first, and if you don't take the second drink, you cannot become drunk! I hate booze! I hate it with a passion! We preachers rightly call it: “LIQUID DEVIL”!

Our attitude determines our altitude in life! The believer's proper mindset is to continually trust in the Lord. Proverbs 3:5-7, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.” That word “lean” is very interesting. It means “to support one’s self: - lean, lie, rely, rest (on, self), stay. ” So oftentimes in life, we find ourselves foolishly carrying our own burdens, weighted down by our worries, frustrations and problems. God wants us to cast every care upon Him in prayer, and trust Him. 1st Peter 5:7, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” Job said in the midst of his afflictions in Job 13:15, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.” Jesus said in Mark 11:22b, “Have faith in God.”

David was a man after God's own heart because he loved God's thoughts. We are what we think. Jesus said in Luke 6:45, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” I am always thinking about the Bible. I love God's Word. I love THE TRUTH! I do not claim to be a good Christian, but God knows that I love Him and His many wonderful promises in the Bible. It is the solemn promises of God in His inspired Word that keep me smiling day by day. 1st Corinthians 1:9, “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.”

David was a man after God's own heart, because he loved God's thoughts! Psalms 119:103, “How sweet are thy words unto my taste!  yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” David memorized God's Word to help him overcome temptation in his life. Since you won't always have a Bible in your possession at all times, by memorizing Scriptures, God's Word will ALWAYS be with you in every situation! Psalms 119:11, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

David was a man after God's own heart because he was passionate about the purity of God's Word. Psalms 119:140, “Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it.” Why did David love the Holy Bible so much? It was because God's Word is “VERY PURE.” Not just “pure,” but “VERY PURE!” Did you hear that Zondervan Publishers? Did you hear that Nelson Publishers? Did you hear that Bob Jones University, who sells, uses and promotes a half dozen different Bible version? Did you hear that Southern Baptist Convention, who published their new gender-neutral “Christian Standard Bible” (CSB) in 2017?

In the Old Testament, God was against the preachers (prophets), because they stole God's Word from the people! Jeremiah 23:30, “Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour.” They stole God's Words by prophesying falsely, by telling lies to the people instead of THE TRUTH! This is exactly what all these new Bible perversions are doing today, stealing God's inspired Words from the people. These new Devil's Bibles teach the heresy of Lordship Salvation, errantly redefining “repentance” as “a change of life” instead of “a change of mind.” 

Consequently, over 90% of evangelical churches today have become theologically corrupted, now teaching that to be saved a person must “turn from sins,” which is a false gospel. Tragically, Bob Jones University preaches this falsehood, sending out thousands of graduates to corrupts thousands of churches with damnable heresy. THEY HAVE STOLEN GOD'S WORD FROM THE PEOPLE!!! Woe unto America's apostate Bible colleges! The way to be saved is to simply believe the 'Good News' when you hear it! David was a man after God's own heart because he loved God's Word. And David loved God's Word because it is very pure! David trusted in God's salvation, not his own turning from sins (self reformation). We find the phrase “THY SALVATION” mentioned 21 times in the Psalms. David trusted in the Lord alone, not (as Dr. Steve Pettit as BJU teaches) that you must faithfully “RUN THE RACE” until the end to receive the “award” of “Heaven itself.”

David loved THE TRUTH! He was a man after God's own heart, because he loved God's Word and fought to defend it. Psalms 12:6-7, “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.” What will be preserved and kept? God's PURE WORDS of course! I love this next Scripture. God magnifies His Word above His own name! The reason why is obvious, because just like a man, God's name is only as good as His Word. Psalms 138:2, “I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.” And that is why I believe David was a man after God's own heart, because David was obsessed with God's Word!!!