Excerpt from Reflections of His Heart
TODAY
IN HIS WORD COMES FROM
Ezek.
36:25–27 (ESV)
THOUGHT TO PONDER:
God calls us and draws us to Him. He seeks to form a close personal relationship with each of us. He sent His Son to bridge the gap between Him and us.
Listen with your heart as our heavenly Father calls you by name (HIS) and speaks to you as if saying, "If you will let Me, I will cleanse you and create in you a new heart. If you will let Me, I will heal you, restore you, and comfort you. If you will let Me, I will give you a new way of thinking and create in you a heart like Mine.... Come lay your burdens down and learn to walk with Me, and you will find that all you need, I AM."
TODAY'S INSIGHT INTO HIS WORD:
When Paul and Barnabus were teaching at Antioch in Pisidia, Paul started with a recap of history. He reminded the people there of how, toward the end of Samuel's life, the people of long ago wanted a king, so Saul was crowned. But when King Saul refused to listen and obey God, he lost his kingdom. Paul quoted what the Lord had said to Samuel in reference to David, "And when he had removed him, he raised David up to be their king, of whom he testified and said, 'I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.'" (Acts 13:22 ESV)
Was David perfect? NO. Did David make mistakes? YES! But what pleased God about him was David's willingness to be a vessel for God. David was a man. By this, I mean simply that he was HUMAN. David made mistakes and at times sinned. But he truly always had a heart for God.
When he was in despair, he sought the Lord. When he needed guidance, he sought the Lord. And when he messed up—when he had sinned—he sought the Lord. David had a surrendered heart to the Lord. David opened his heart and allowed God to work in and through him, creating in him a heart like His, and he became known as a man whose mistakes were forgiven and called by God Himself, "A man after My heart."
What I find totally inspiring is that, when Samuel told King Saul that God had "sought out a man of his own heart" (see 1 Samuel 13:14), this was before David was anointed by Samuel and even before David had a chance to grow up! Remember that when Samuel went to find this "man," David was still a young boy. David truly was the CHOSEN one, not Saul. The people wanted a king —what they didn't realize was that God had one for them —but they didn't want to wait. The problem was that David needed time to grow up, and the people wound up getting second best in the meantime, because they wanted someone "now."
When God told Samuel to anoint the boy child, God called him "A man after My own heart." The Lord had already viewed all the days of David's life. He knew the times David would falter and the times he would fall to sin, but God also knew what would genuinely be in David's heart all his life. God knew that, in the depths of David's heart, there was and would always be a heart for God.
God knew He could entrust the leadership responsibility of His people to David. My quick question to you is, "What is God entrusting you with?"
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This thought about David reminds me of another time the Lord spoke to someone already "knowing." Look, if you will, at Luke 22:31-34, Jesus told Peter that Satan had requested to "sift" Peter, and that God had allowed it.
Jesus told Peter that he would falter, but Jesus also told Peter that he (Peter) would stand back up: "When you return to me…" In essence, Jesus was telling Peter, "Satan is going to sift you like flour, you are going to scrape your knees falling down, but I already know you are going to stand back up, and you will be stronger for it. And when you return to Me, help your brothers."
You might wonder why God would allow this. Because as strong as Peter was, he was also arrogant. The Lord needed the arrogance to be shaken out of Peter so that Peter would no longer be full of himself but full of God.
Remember, Peter was a born leader—he was a successful businessman (or fisherman). Peter had natural strength. God needed to realign Peter inside, so He allowed Satan to put Peter through the wringer.
But you also have to know that if God hadn't been particular, Peter's faith would ultimately win, and Peter would come back stronger than before as a humble man; God would never have allowed it. God will not let us be tested past our breaking point. If God allows something, you can be sure good will come from it. And if it feels as if you are breaking in half, then hold tighter to the hand of God, because HE IS THERE WITH YOU EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. Don't you turn away from Him!
Jesus knew that day (referred to in Luke 22) that Peter would say three times that night that he (Peter) didn't know Him. But Jesus also knew that this same Peter would set his world on fire, lead people to Jesus, and go to the grave witnessing for Him.
Jesus knew what Peter's true heart was BEFORE Peter ever knew what would happen. It was the same way with David. It is why long before David would be king, God could already say, "This man is a man after My own heart." God called David a man while he was still just a boy. And God spoke in 1 Samuel 13:14 as if David was already appointed—not would be—but as "Is." Meaning it was already a done deal. It is the same way God spoke to Abraham about Isaac, as if Isaac already were. Read Romans 4:17: Calling Abraham a father of MANY before he physically was a father of one. God even called Abraham His friend (see Isaiah 41:8). God already knew. God stated what He had planned. And God did what He said He would do.
He did so with Abraham. He did so with David. And He did so again with Peter. God looked into these men, past these men, and saw what they would become and who they were in Him, and knew they would keep hearts for Him. And my friend… He already knows you.
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Is that what you long for? Is that what your heart is aching for? Then, beloved friend, know that God is drawing you and working in you. Believe that God is trying to reach down into the crevices to cleanse you. Take a deep breath and slowly exhale; be still and quietly listen. He sees all your days, all your goods, and all your faults.
Could it be that at this very moment God is whispering in you,
>> Print this devotional: A Heart Like Mine
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