What Made God Hold David in High Esteem?
By Babatunde Olugboji
God’s statement that in David he found a man after his own heart, that David will do everything he asked him to do (Acts 13:22) raises a few interesting questions: . What was it about David that stood out to God? What did God like about David? Shouldn’t his many transgressions have kept God away from him? You can even argue that morally, Saul, whom he replaced, was perhaps better than him. At least Saul didn’t have proclivities of a sexual nature.
True, David’s character was considerably flawed; he had periods of serious weaknesses, including the sin he committed with Bathsheba which culminated in the murder of Uriah. He was brutal at times – God forbade him to build the temple because of the various wars he waged (1 Chr 28:3). He was less than ideal as a father; overall, he was far from perfect. However, his good heart set him apart. This shepherd of sheep was destined to shepherd a whole nation.
The human heart, in its natural condition, is evil, treacherous and deceitful (Jer17:9). Jesus pointed out the fallen condition of our hearts (Mark 7:21-23), but God can create a new heart within us (Psa 51:10; Eze 36:26). God promises to “revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Isa 57:15); God’s work of creating a new heart within us involves testing our hearts (Psa 17:3; Deu 8:2) and filling our hearts with new ideas, new wisdom, and new desires (Neh 7:5; I Kings. 10:24; 2 Cor 8:16). The heart is the core of our being, and the Bible says we should keep it pure: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Pro 4:23).
A few important reasons why God held David in high esteem:
1. He was an above and beyond giver: In 1 Chr 29:1-32, (particularly 1-3), David set aside materials “without limit” for the Temple and did even more.
2. He delighted in God’s laws: David repeatedly mentioned how much he loved God’s perfect word. (Psa 119:47-48).
3. He was a worshipper: David worshipped God in spirit and in truth, with a truly grateful and humble heart. He knew that worship is the overflow of the revelation of who God is and David’s story is a testament to the fact that God is drawn to worshippers. Seven times a day I praise you, because of your righteous ordinances (Psa 119:164).
4. He had great faith: David had absolute faith and trust in God. How else would one venture into a potentially fatal fight with Goliath with such calm and confidence? (I Sam 17:37). David also recognized the importance of trusting and obeying God (Psa 27:1).
Will you say a little prayer by asking God this week to create in you a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within you?
Kingdom Dynamics, a weekly column is written by Dr. Babatunde Olugboji, the President, Kingdom House, a non-profit organization in New Jersey, USA.
