A Man After God’s Own Heart

12 // March 2020 by Wayne Williams

Dr. Wayne Williams, executive director of World Harvest Ministries and certified marriage counselor is married to his high school sweetheart, Lita LaMour Mack. They have one adult daughter, Brittany, a graduate of Lee University who has been married almost four years to her fellow college classmate, Dennis. About The Author “H e raised up David 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).

There is a lot of speculation about why the expression, “a man after my [God’s] heart,” is ascribed to the notable king of Israel, David. Ron Edmondson, Senior Pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky, endeavors to help us with this construct by listing character traits that David likely possessed.

With thoughtful attention to the word of God, Edmondson seeks to provide a biblical account from the Book of Psalms that best describes the heart of David. Among the descriptions are David’s humility (Psalm 62:9), reverence (Psalm 18:3), devotion (Psalm 4:7), repentance, (Psalm 25:11), and love (Psalm 18:1). Love? Humm? And what are some of the things that God loves? Great question! Since childhood, many of us were compelled to memorize that “God so loved the world (people)…” (John 3:16). I am inclined to believe that according to Scripture, God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7), the unsaved (Romans 5:8), those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (John 16:27), those He has to chastise or correct (Proverbs 3:12; Hebrews 12:6), and justice (Psalm 37:28). Oh yes, and God loves most those who love Him and “keep His commandments” (Deuteronomy 7:9; Proverbs 8:17).

A young Bible Studies major was asked to speak at a local church close to the Bible school he was attending. It was a relatively small congregation with a long and upstanding history in the community. The membership, though mostly elderly, was fortunate to have a few young families in attendance who had requested of the pulpit committee the young man’s services. His excitement to preach coupled with his academic training were clearly on display as he preached what he thought was a wellwritten sermon full of theological jargon and “highfluting words.” It was reported that following the worship service, two elderly women were overheard in the hallway just outside the church sanctuary sharing their personal observations of the young man’s presentation. One of the elderly ladies, a charter member, stated her views and said to the other, “The young man is noticeably well-read, but I am concerned that it appeared he tried too hard to impress and fell short to express himself. And I may not know what preaching is, but I know what preaching ain’t!”

Opposite of the things that God loves, we read in Proverbs 6:16-19 those things that God hates. And, too, we are commanded to “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world” (1 John 2:15).

Friend, I am inclined to believe that David was “a man whose heart is like God’s heart” because David loved the things that God loved and was “willing to do what God desired of him.”

In summation, we should love the things that God loves, and in doing so, we will conversely hate those things that the Lord hates. And so, my friend, I am compelled to ask, “What do you love, and does it qualify you to be ‘a person after God’s own heart’?” Shalom!