In Acts 13:22, we can see what God felt when he raised David up as king.
“I have found David son of Jesse,
a man after my own heart;
he will do everything I want him to do.”
‘A man after God’s heart’ is someone ‘who knows God’s heart and follows his heart’. This was God’s appraisal of David. When God chose David to be king, David was the youngest child of Jesse. How did David become highly regarded by God at such a young age ?
The Bible says that before David became king, David was just a shepherd of sheep. This was how God found David. His only role was taking care of his sheep. Following the footsteps of his older brothers, he too took up the profession as a shepherd as the youngest sibling. However, David found the significance of his job different from his brothers.
Although he was too young to even look after himself, he put in his best effort and prayed as hard as he could to protect the sheep God gave him. David practiced the slingshot to protect his sheep from lions and bears, and he practiced again and again in order to accurately shoot down a target while running. And when lions and bears threatened his sheep, he chased after them and brought them down with a sling and a stone. (1 Samuel 17:34-35)
From here we can see that David had a special heart tending his sheep. Taking care of sheep was not something he did just because he had to, but something he did with a faithful purpose. And seeing how David was tending his sheep, God looked through David’s heart. (1 Samuel 16:7). And when God looked at this heart, He saw a man after His own heart. (Acts 13:22). Looking after the sheep was the work God gave him to complete, and he faithfully kept his sheep safe with prayer. (1 Samuel 17:37). David saw that tending his sheep was doing the God’s work.
A young shepherd, David learned more about God’s heart while tending his sheep. (Psalm 23). He realized that God is the true shepherd who provides for his people. He came to learn about God’s passion, sorrow, love and joy towards us. And God gave David a nickname “A man after God’s heart’. God says that he was searching for someone with a soul like David. (Acts 13:22)
(To be continued...)
Following the shepherd…
Pastor Jiwon Choi
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