Prayer: Lord please make me a man after your heart. Give me the grace to live out the destiny you have laid down for my life and to do your will in all areas of my life. Thank you for blessing me with everything and everyone you have put into my life. You are the awesome God and I will forever praise you. Amen.
Verse of the Day: "After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: '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)
Worship Song of the Day: Hosanna by Brooke Fraser
Good morning everyone. It seems like forever since I have posted. I feel like I want to share with you a little about our study from church last Sunday about David. David is a very intriguing man. He was the lowest regarded of his brothers yet God chose him to replace Saul who by all rights seemed like a good king. However as pastor David told us Saul's heart wasn't quite right. When he defied God he failed to have a repentant heart about it. He made excuses and tried to justify himself. For that reason God rejected him and selected David whom he called "A man after My own heart".
David had his struggles no doubt. I mean this man was a murderer and adulterer among other things. So what I found fascinating was how God determined that David and not Saul was the man after his heart. Pastor David said something that struck me and that was the fact that in many peoples earthly eyes you would see what David had done vs. what Saul had done and think David was way worse. However, God looks at different things than man. God does not see one sin and worse than another. God looks at your heart and he saw that Saul was a man full of rebellion and would not admit and turn from that rebellion. David on the other hand was humble and repentant and God saw that in him.
This statement alone should give you some serious hope. This was pointing to God's grace already. God already saw David's heart desired after God's will and was truly contrite after committing his grievous sins. So it was already pointing to the grace of God to say you can never screw up bad enough for me to not love you. He just desires you own up to your sin and repent. A repentant heart is a true heart of worship. Look at David. The guy wrote most of the psalms which where the worship songs of the Israelites. David was a true man. He was both warrior and poet. He embraced his warrior nature and yet was gentle enough to write songs and poems.
His humble and repentant heart helped him to be a true worshipper of God. The bible says God desires people who worship in Spirit and in Truth. The power behind David's psalms weren't just that they were true but that they came from his heart. Remember its a heart God has said was after His own. One thing I have often on this blog is that any activity can be worship if its done with the right heart or mind towards God.
I have a confession with a good ending. My wife and I had not been tithing the last few years even though we sort of knew we should. Recently we started tithing again and God is right about one thing. This is indeed something to test him in. We didn't know how we would make it giving God 10%. We make it by but not by some great excess and to sacrifice 10% of our income seemed to be more than we could do. But immediately upon our being faithful to do so. God in turn began living up to his faithfulness and we have had no added financial stress to speak of. In fact God has continued to bless us in many ways. I would encourage you to Tithe. The first fruits of our labor belong to God. If we keep it we are in essence stealing from God. Also on this point its the only time in the Bible that god tells us to test him in something. Be faithful and give with a cheerful heart and God will return to you and multiply that which you have. On that note we shall end for today.
Love you guys and blessings to you and praise to the Great I Am our king Jesus.
Your Brother in Christ,
Brian
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