Developing David’s Heart
(week 37/04)
Olubi Johnson
Acts 13:22-23 NKJV: And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.‘
Here, we see God calling David ‘a man after my own heart who will do all my will’.
It is instructive to note that God had to search for a man with a heart like David: there were not many men that had, or even now have, David’s heart.
This is because a David heart, so to speak, is not a natural heart: nobody is born with that kind of heart; it is one that is developed over time by the power of the Holy Spirit and the written Word of God.
In fact, we see that even after David was chosen by God to become king, God took another 13 or so years to further develop his heart before he could start reigning over Judah and Israel (1 Sam.16.13, 2 Sam.5.4-5).
What are the characteristics of a David heart?
Honesty and humility to accept all of the truth of God’s Word and diligently practice it. This practice will develop courage, fortitude, faithfulness, patience, perseverance, love and all the other fruit of the Spirit in your heart.
Why do we need to develop a David heart?
The reason is that we are living in a prophetic time, the 3rd. day, in which God is raising up spiritual kings in Christ, typified by David, who will bring order to God’s kingdom and fulfill God’s purpose of manifesting the perfection and fullness of Christ in the earth.
Jeremiah 30:7-9 NIV: How awful that day will be! None will be like it. It will be a time of trouble for Jacob, but he will be saved out of it. 8 “‘In that day,’ declares the LORD Almighty, ‘I will break the yoke off their necks and will tear off their bonds; no longer will foreigners enslave them. 9 Instead, they will serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.
Amos 9:11 KJV: In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:
The David kingship or leadership will be good shepherds that will feed God’s people properly with knowledge, understanding (Jer. 3.15) and integrity (Ps. 78.72).
This will be in stark contrast to the present Saul leadership that is found in many churches who, like Saul, do not accept all of God’s Word (1Sam. 15.13-24): doing only the part of God’s Word that is convenient for them and exploiting God’s people.
Ezekiel 34:19-24 NIV: Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet? 20 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says to them: See, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns until you have driven them away, 22 I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another. 23 I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. 24 I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the LORD have spoken.
How then do you develop a David heart?
By daily, as a habit, using the written Word, the life of God and the power of the Holy Spirit to write God’s law of love upon your mind, will and emotions so that it controls your conduct like it did David.
It was God’s law written on David’s heart that gave him the courage and strength to kill the lion, the bear and Goliath (1 Sam. 17.34-37).
It was God’s law written on David’s heart that caused him not to kill Saul when he had the opportunity to and take, as it were, a short cut to the throne (1 Sam. 24.3-22, 26.5-25).
David himself in Psalm 19 reveals to us the importance of putting God’s Word in the heart:
Psalms 19:7-11, 14 NIV: The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring for ever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. 10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. 11 By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
It is also vital to see that not only must one develop a David heart but one must also maintain it.
David in spite of his good heart, in a time of obvious carelessness and negligence of the Word and prayer, allowed himself to be set up by Satan to commit adultery and murder (2 Sam. 11, 12:1-25).
Thank God that, by the mercy of God he was able to repent of this and did not commit this type of folly again in his life. However, we are to learn from his example that it is not enough develop a David heart it is also vital to maintain it constantly by habitual daily fellowship with the Lord in the Word and prayer.
