Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.” —John 14:23-24
Jesus equated obedience with love. Let’s not deceive ourselves: it’s critically important to obey God. David was tenacious, determined, and sincerely devoted to following hard after God’s commands. This desire chiseled and shaped his heart over many years. But he was far from a model of obedience. There was often a yawning gap between his sincere resolve and his actions. In other words, he blew it from time to time, sometimes in spades. Yet he was still a man after God’s own heart. That should flutter your heart a bit! What does this tell us? That there’s more to being a person after God’s heart than obedience. There is also the posture of your heart before God. God counted the sincere intentions of David’s heart even when his great weakness led him to wrong decisions. God sees us the same way. Our sincere intentions to obey are very significant to God. He notices our desires, not just our outward actions.
{ PRAYER STARTER }
Father, search my heart and show me where I have failed to walk in obedience to Your will. Keep my heart pure before You, and help me to walk in ever-increasing obedience to Your plans and purposes.
A sincere determination to love Jesus even in the
midst of your weakness is a huge part of being a man
or woman after God’s own heart.
