Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men
1. What are some of the attributes of David that led God to call him “a man after my own heart” (Acts 13:22)?
2. Where do you think David’s great faith, confidence, and trust in God came from?
3. What keeps many Christians from not having this same kind of faith, confidence, and trust in God?
4. What are some obstacles to your own faith that you need to overcome?
5. What attribute(s) of David would you like to strengthen in your own life?
6. What simple steps can you take to strengthen them?
(This article is a product of the NFCM, P.O. Box 86381, Gaithersberg, MD 20886. You may e-mail them at info@nrccm.org.)
[Editor's Note: This article is the third in a series on the theme “Being a Man after God’s Heart.” Click on the appropriate link to find the first article, or the second article.]
The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.
(1 Samuel 13:14).
David danced before the Lord with all his might (2 Samuel 6:14).
I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do (Acts 13:22).
What was it that made David a man after God’s heart? Personal strength? Moral perfection? Not especially. Even Scripture tells us that he had quite a checkered history. If we take a look at David’s life recounted in Scripture, we can find the answer.
David’s greatest attributes were his devotion to and reverence for the living God. He was far from perfect, showing the sinful side of humanity all too often. Yet even when confronted by his sin, David upheld the truth of God’s holiness and sovereignty, humbly confessing his own unworthiness.
When Goliath’s challenge to the soldiers of Israel left them trembling with fear, only the boy David agreed to fight the Philistine champion. He could not allow this unbeliever to taunt the army of the Lord! Although David was at an extreme disadvantage, his words to Goliath tell us a lot about the heart of David: “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me” (1 Samuel 17:45).
David believed that God would govern the outcome, whether he was fighting Goliath as a shepherd boy or governing his people as king. David showed the kind of faith, confidence, and trust that every Christian disciple can have in Jesus. He knew that God acts powerfully on behalf of his people.
David was a man after God’s heart because he threw himself totally into his praise and worship of the Lord. At times this caused him to raise a few eyebrows in the process. For example, when he “danced before the Lord with all his might” (2 Samuel 6:14), David desired to give glory to God in everything he did. He was also a man of prayer, but it wasn’t the fact that he prayed that made him a man after God’s heart, but the fact that when he prayed he worshipped God with all his heart.
Though he was devoted to God, David was just a human and prone to sin — just as we are, so God's description of David in no way implied sinlessness. But David had great faith. David pleased God, in spite of his sin, because of how contrite his heart was. When confronted with his adultery and his part in the death of his lover’s husband (2 Samuel 11-12), David repented humbly, accepting whatever punishment the Lord chose to give.
Like David, we too can have a simple faith in God Who acts powerfully on behalf of His people. We, too, can love, worship, and praise Him with our whole hearts. We, too, can admit to our sins and shortcomings and have faith in God’s ability to work through us and heal us. David was an ordinary shepherd boy, not even esteemed by his own family, yet chosen by God Who saw into his heart. Although we may not be great in the eyes of others, we, too, can become men after God’s own heart by placing our faith and trust in Jesus, His Son.
Pray: Lord, open my eyes to see the wonders of what life holds for those who love You and follow You, even imperfectly. Heavenly Father, give me a heart like David’s so that I too might know Your power and protection, and like David, You will see me as a man after Your own heart.
