Part IV. What kind of heart would God like me to have?
A. We have been thinking about David, a man after God’s own heart. So let’s look first at the longings of David’s heart.
What characterized David’s heart, and what did he long for?
- Precepts of God (Ps 119:10-11)
- Purpose of God (Ps 40:8)
- Panting for God (Ps 42:1-2)
- Power & Glory of God (Ps 63:1-2)
- Praise of God (Ps 150)
- Pondering God (Ps 63:6)
- Preeminence of God (Ps 115:1)
- Prayer to God (Ps 5:2-3)
- Promises of God (2 Sam 7:28-29)
- Peace of God (Ps 4:7-8)
- Purity, Holiness of God (Ps 51:10)
- People of God (Ps 28:9)
- Place, House of God (Ps 27:4, 84:2-4,10)
- Preference for God & Restoration to God (Ps 137:6)
- Pain of God felt (2 Sam 18:33)
- Isaiah 1:2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
- Loving heart: Deut. 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
- God is the greatest lover.
- Patient heart: Psa 27:14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
- Patient, trusting expectation
- God’s way is worth seeking for, and God’s will is worth waiting for. (v11, 14)
- Trusting heart: Prov. 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
- Psalm 62:8 Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.
- God’s word is worth trusting
- He is the most trustworthy
- Willing heart: 2Cor. 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
- Christ was the most submissive to God’s will
- Thankful heart: Col. 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
- Serving heart: Eph. 6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
- Service should not be dependent on the praise of men
- Christ was the greatest servant
- “Pleased not Himself” (Rom. 15:3)
- He took the reproach of men for the sake of the Father
- “Not My will, but Thine be done” (Luke 22:42)
- Peaceful heart Php. 4:6-7 …And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
- Our peace is not dependent on our circumstances
- Comforted heart: 2Th. 2:16-17 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.
- Joyful heart: Psa 4:7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart
- Worshipful heart: Psa 9:1 I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.
- Reverential heart: Psalm 86:11 Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.
- Directed heart: 2Th. 3:3-5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.
- Teachable heart: Psalm 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
- True heart: Heb. 10:19-22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
- “Blessed are the pure in heart” Matt. 5:8
- “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts” Psalm 139:23
- Beautiful heart of humility: 1Pet. 3:4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
- Prov. 18:12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.
- Soft heart: Mar 6:52 For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened. (submitted by reader)
- What is my reaction when the Lord works in my life?
- Mark 3:5 – A hard heart grieves the Lord
- God would not have us to be soft when it comes to the world’s mold (Romans 12:2), but He desires a soft heart that conforms to the mold of likeness to His Son (Romans 8:29).
In considering these things, the writer feels his failure and shortcomings.
Concluding thoughts
Our spiritual life began with God working in our heart. We need to guard our heart from the evil without and have it cleansed from the defilement and deadness within. Our heart is the secret to spiritual blessing and honor before God. It is the determiner of our habits. Where it goes, our lives will follow.
A trusting heart is God’s delight.
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. ” (Prov. 3:5-6)
An offered heart is what God deserves.
“My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.” (Prov. 23:26)
A heart given to God is a heart God fills and satisfies. God will fill my heart in the measure that I give it to Him.
With a whole heart like David then, let us praise Him (Psalm 9:1), seek Him (Psalm 119:2), serve Him (Psalm 119:34), and pray to Him (Psalm 119:58,145). Let us with a whole heart return unto Him in repentence (Jer. 24:7) and love Him with our whole being (Deut. 6:5) until that day when we see Him face to face.
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)
the verse in Mark 6:52 just spoke to me…. “For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.” I know there are references to having a soft heart in Job 23:16 & Ps. 22:14 that would refer to a soft heart more in terms of anguish of soul/spirit. I don’t think the softness referred to in Mark 6:52 is the same (but I may be wrong!)… do you think it would be appropriate to say that the Lord desires us to have a soft heart? Perhaps the thought of a soft heart would fall under a “worshipful heart” or a “directed heart”?
Mark 6:52 almost reminds me of the verses in Exodus about the Lord/Pharaoh hardening Pharaoh’s heart… it seems that a hardening of heart occurs after God/the Lord has just displayed His power and works. I find that thought challenging… what is my reaction when the Lord works in my life?!?
Thanks for sharing!
I agree, I think the ideas of Mark 6:52 and Job 23:16 etc. are different. Perhaps Mark 6:52 is referring to sensitivity and faith whereas Job 23 is referring to timidity and fear.
And yes, I think it directly relates to Pharaoh’s heart. I note also the reference in Mark 3:5. There the Pharisees were hardened to not pity a man with a withered hand, and more importantly, hardened to the goodness of the Lord. They were blinded by pride, hypocrisy and envy. They prided themselves in going beyond the law in outward show, but laid aside the lovingkindness (“mercy and not sacrifice”) of the law. They viewed the man as one whose healing would give glory to the Lord Jesus instead of themselves, and they viewed Christ as one who was endangering their prestige.
So is a soft heart important? You bet it is, and I appreciate you bringing it up. I have added your thought to the post.
I like your thought about “what is my reaction to God’s working in my life?” I think we as Christians are hardened to things without even realizing it. We can be hardened to God’s goodness day by day and may take it for granted. We can be hardened to His direction and will for our lives when we want our own way. We can be hardened to limit our view of God’s power to work in our lives and in the lives of others; to save the lost, and to work miraculously in our lives. I have sometimes wondered if we in the assemblies are encouraged to discount the miraculous sometimes, in an attempt to guard against Pentecostalism (not to be misunderstood, I don’t believe we are still in the age of the apostles). But God is still in the business of doing great things in our lives today. I am encouraged when I read missionary stories of men and women who proved this in their lives. I think we in the States tend to sit back and drift along, rather than proving the powerful hand of God in our lives. True, God demonstrates His where there is a need, but I wonder if that power might be more demonstrated in my life if I were desiring it more and exercised about a work for Him.
When it comes to the world, God would have us to be firm and unwavering, not pressed into its mold (Rom 12:2), but when it comes to God, He would have us soft and molded to the image of His Son (Rom 8:29).
This is the kind of discussion I was originally hoping to create through the blog. So thank you. I’m sorry if I sound like I’m teaching; I’m really just saying what thoughts come to mind in regard to what you shared.
(My translation from a post by David Alves)
When you read Genesis 22, don’t think that God was wanting the life (death) of Isaac. Better, the thing God wanted was the heart of Abraham. To be ready to give his son, his beloved, was for Abraham the greatest manifestation that there was nothing more important, more dear to his heart than God (Gen. 22:12).
If you truly fear the Lord, “You will love the LORD your God with all your heart,” Deuteronomy 6:5.
Although a ram took the place of Isaac, that day Abraham demonstrated that nothing, no, no one, would occupy the place that God alone had in his heart.
Centuries later, Peter took the same test: “Simon, son of Jonas, Lovest thou me more than these?” (John 21:15).
Today, the test is the same for us.
“My son, give me my thine heart” (Proverbs 23:26).