D. Joshua

David is a unique personality in the entire Bible. Joseph was symbol of holiness. Moses was the meekest man in the entire world. Job was known for his long suffering and endurance. Nevertheless, none of them were called like how God called David. In first Samuel chapter thirteen, verse fourteen tells: "But now your kingdom will not endure: 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". Acts 13:22 tells the same thing about David `I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'

God is a real person. He is not a human invention, a concept, a theory or a projection of ourselves. He is overwhelmingly alive, real beyond our wildest dreams.

In spite of David's terrific sin he is called the man after God's own heart. One brief spell of passionate indulgence and David was plunged into ruin. Judah's illustrious ruler, the sweet singer of Israel, became David, the seducer, the adulterer-then a monstrous liar, a murderer and then mass murderer, utterly pitiless and unmoved by his horrifying evil.

God never makes mistakes. WhenGod called David, a man after God's own heart there will be enough reasons for the same. First of all David put God his number one priority. In other words he hungered and thirsted for God more than anything else. Listen to Psalm 63:1
"O God, you are my God
earnestly I seek you, my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land where there is no water."

Though he was the second and the most powerful king of Israel, he delighted to spend quiet time with God in the early morning. He got strength and might from God Almighty
Men who achieved great things in life are those who concentrated on one thing. David was a man after one thing. Paul is another example (Phil 3:13). Look at Psalms 27:4 "one thing I ask of the Lord this is what I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord all the days of my life". Here we find single mindedness of David. Though he had everything a king could possess, his heart was fixed upon God, his creator, sustainer and Redeemer. No wonder his life was triumphant and radiant.
"Trust in God" was another mark that made David different from others.

Godliness consists of Trust, honesty, decency and integrity. Throughout the Psalms David acknowledges his trust in the Lord of Lords. Psalms 11:1 tells. "In the Lord I take refuge”
In calamity, crisis, and in all circumstances, he depended upon God for deliverance, comfort and an answer for his perplexing problems.

Though David lived in the days of Old Testament dispensation the Spirit of Christ had over shadowed him. He followed the principle of nonretaliation. He never took revenge upon Saul, his enemy. It was David who established the kingdom of Saul when he defeated and killed, Goliath, the unconquerable enemy. Nevertheless Saul wanted to destroy David. He made several attempts to kill him. He was searching David in the wilderness in order to finish him. In the battle David got several chances to kill Saul, his enemy. But he was not willing to touch the once anointed king of Israel. David's nobility is revealed in one incident at the Desert of En Gedi when Saul was relieving himself along with his men. David could have cut him into pieces. But he just cut off a corner of Saul's rob. Afterward he repented even for that simple act against God's anointed (1 Samuel 24: 4-6). This is a lesson we need to learn from David in
these days of revenge and retaliation.

The most outstanding quality of David is his brokenness before God. No doubt, he has done the most gruesome sin. But when God convicted his sin through Nathan, the prophet he immediately accepted his grave sin that he has committed. His cry before God is moving and memorable. He fell to the deepest pit of uncleanness and violence. Once he was convinced of his sin he longed for a pure heart, which may be whiter than snow. The climax of his penitent heart is seen when he cried, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart, 0 God you will not despise. (Ps. 51:17) At this point of repentance God forgave David. Surely David had to bear the consequence of this in his lifetime and afterwards.

The lesson we learn from David is that God is not ashamed to call himself the God of David (Isaiah 38:5). In spite of the sin of David, he is still the man after God's own heart because he will be ever remembered for his hunger for God, single minded devotion to God, trust in God, his spirit of forgiveness, and for his brokenness before God.