God called King David “a man after His own heart.”  I have heard that phrase many times during my life.  But it wasn’t until my time alone with Jesus this morning, that I found myself asking how a mere man (even though a king) would be honored to acquire such an intimate, loving description from GOD, the creator of the universe.

I began to ask God what was it about David that captured God’s loving heart?  And then, what about me God?  Am I a woman after your own heart?  I want to be.  Or will that coveted description require more from me than I am willing to give?  Or maybe even more than I am even capable of giving?

Anita Keagy’s study, The Joy of Seeking God First,  provided me with fifteen verses from the Psalms that gave a little insight into what David’s heart was like.  In my quest to dig deeper, I wrote them out and then extracted the qualities I found.  Here’s the list:

David…

Trusted God
Was not proud
Had room for God in all his other thoughts
Understood God
Sought after God
Was satisfied with God alone
Praised God
Received vindication from God
Recognized that God was his Savior
Talked to God LOTS
Desired to see His face
Desired to live eternally with God
Rejoiced and was glad in the LORD
Exalted His name
Loved God’s salvation
Unashamedly claimed God as his God
Thirsted for God
Longed for God
Gloried in God’s Holy Name
Relied on God’s strength
Kept God’s laws
Experienced God’s grace
Knew God’s promises

The temptation for many of us, especially those of us raised in the church, is to say, “I can claim most or all of those qualities.”

But if we are truthful…do we really trust Him?  Are we prideful?  Do we have so many thoughts in our heads that there isn’t much room for thoughts of God?  Are we fully satisfied with God alone?  Do we really know how to praise Him?

If you are brave enough to go through each one on the list and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal your true heart, you might find yourself like I did, sadly falling short.

Search us O God and know our hearts; test us and know our anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in us and lead us in the way everlasting.  Make us people after your own heart.