After God's Own Heart 2

David was certainly a man after God’s own heart. Part of the reason God referred to him as such was because of his constant and persistent seeking of the Lord. David knew that his fulfillment in life wouldn’t come from anything the world had to offer, but instead, would come from a life that was lived for God. David sought after God with great passion. He kept his focus on God even amidst some terrifying circumstances and he never gave up on God, most likely because he knew that God would never give up on him. Even when things seemed hopeless, David still praised God. David made many mistakes in his life, he was a sinner, but he recognized that he needed God to help him make it though each and every day. He knew that God was the only one who could forgive him and he knew that God was the only one who could help him. David was not perfect, but he loved and served a perfect God, who meant more to him than anything else in his life. He knew that when he would fall, God would be there offering a hand to help him back up. He knew that God’s love for him was far greater than anything he could possibly imagine and that nothing could take it away from him. In Psalm 63, David is in the wilderness of Judah, where he is hiding from his enemies once again. He is out there alone without any other human contact, but he knows that God is by his side. Was he fearful, cold, or hungry? The Bible doesn’t really say. I can only imagine that hiding in the wilderness from your enemies would be a terribly difficult time. In the midst of this, David wrote Psalm 63. “O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you, my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! I will praise you as long as I live, lifting my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy. I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely” (1-8) David kept his focus on God and because of it he had great hope even while in the middle of some pretty difficult circumstances. In this life there will be many problems and many difficult circumstances, it is up to you to make the decision how you are going to handle them when they come your way. David’s way of handling his problems was to keep his focus on the problem solver, God. He knew that God was the only one who could rescue him from his enemies and from his terrible circumstances. He kept his feet firmly planted on the rock that doesn’t move and even though the storms would rise up against him, he was not shaken because his faith and his hope and his confidence were placed in entirely in God. Where have you placed your faith? Your hope? Your confidence? Are you able to stand firm when storms threaten to beat you down?