May 5 - 1 Chronicles 12-14: A Heart After God

Have you ever had one of those moments when someone else is receiving praise and all you can selfishly think is: "yeah, I know how to do that, too."  Or, maybe it goes a bit further to thoughts like, "if I had her (fill in blank - money, house, education, husband,...) I could do that."  Maybe it's just me, but I suspect that at least one other woman has the same struggle with comparing and envy that I have.

When I examine my heart, I realize I feel a little like that towards David.  God calls him "a man after my own heart" (Acts 13:22).  In my self-absorption I want to make it about all the advantages David had - young, good-looking, strong, musician, men to fight for him, a palace.  I find myself thinking , "you know, if I had all that, I'm sure I'd be a woman after God's heart".  I know it's not true, but it does beg the question, what was it that God saw in David's heart in spite of all his sin?

Reading the 1 Chronicles account of David's movement of the Chest of God is giving me some insight.  In chapter 13, David really does have a good idea; he seeks counsel; makes a nod towards God ("if it is God's will"); and "everybody agreed that it was the right thing to do." (13:4)   But apparently there was something missing from the collective, human wisdom of David and his leaders.

Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts.  Proverbs 21:2

We know the next part - the ox stumbles, Uzzah tries to keep the chest from falling and God strikes him down.  Then, David loses his temper and throws a tantrum and calls the whole thing off.  So again I have to ask myself, why was David called "a man after God's heart"?  I think I found a hint as I was reading this story in the Chronological Bible.  It places Psalm 101 right after this story, "during the period of time when the ark was in the home of Obed-Edom."   This is what was on David's heart after this public humiliation, the obvious display of God's displeasure in David's actions, and the killing of Uzzah:

I will sing of your love and justice;
   to you, LORD, I will sing praise.
I will be careful to lead a blameless life—
   when will you come to me?
   I will conduct the affairs of my house
   with a blameless heart.
I will not look with approval
   on anything that is vile.
   I hate what faithless people do;
   I will have no part in it.
The perverse of heart shall be far from me;
   I will have nothing to do with what is evil.
Whoever slanders their neighbor in secret,
   I will put to silence;
whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart,
   I will not tolerate.
My eyes will be on the faithful in the land,
   that they may dwell with me;
the one whose walk is blameless
   will minister to me.
No one who practices deceit
   will dwell in my house;
no one who speaks falsely
   will stand in my presence.
Every morning I will put to silence
   all the wicked in the land;
I will cut off every evildoer
   from the city of the LORD.

David's heart?  Praising God for His love and justice. Acknowledging his need for God to live a blameless life.  Confessing that he must not seek the approval of those who deceive or do evil.  Confessing his need to have the faithful and blameless ministering to him.

Not exactly where my heart would have gone.  In moments of embarrassment or shame or anger, I want to hide or blame or escape.  In spite of it all, David chose to turn to God and therein lies the difference.

Father, it's my desire to have a heart running after You.  Thank You for the imperfect example of David's actions and most importantly, the real example of his heart.