Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily devotional where we are in our Summer Inspiration series. Today, we reflect on what it means for us to be a person after God’s own heart.
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“But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.’” (1 Samuel 13:14)
These words always strike me. I have to ask myself, “Am I a man after God’s own heart?” Saul is presented as a man who is losing his way. He’s a king that started well but is now disobeying God; because of fear he chose to make a sacrifice to God. What may have looked like humility and worship - making the sacrifice - was in fact an act of rebellion that was driven by fear. It’s in this context that today’s words of rebuke are spoken. Such words cause all of us to search ourselves!
However, the first thing this text is designed to do is to look to the King with a perfect heart and who has made the perfect sacrifice. Jesus is the true man after God’s own heart. He’s offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for sin. For us to be a person after God’s own heart starts by worshipping Christ as our perfect King and Saviour! God is most pleased to see faith and devotion to Christ in us rather than some self-righteous attempt to prove ourselves to God!
Secondly, God wants to give us a heart like Christ (and David). By the Spirit, He wants to sanctify our desires and our wills. However, the way to the renewed heart is to seek and abide in Christ. He can transform us. In the place of prayer, worship and abiding, our hearts are transformed.
So today, let’s glorify Christ as our perfect king, perfect sacrifice and the one who can give us His heart. It says that ‘the Lord has sought out a man after His own heart’, and may we seek out Christ and make Him our hero and hope.
Today, I’m sure that we all need to ask ‘ How am I doing at resting and abiding in Christ?’
Community group notes and study
1. Notices
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
2. Icebreaker
How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week and how has this helped you?
3. Worship together
Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.
4. Study and pray together
Our message on Sunday was entitled, Don’t Settle for Second Best; the theme, from Exodus, was on how we are to prize the presence of God and not settle for second best in our lives.
Please read 1 Samuel 13:14 and discuss:
What would you say is the main message of this text and account of Saul and David that surrounds it?
Did God speak to you about anything specifically from Sunday’s message?
How was David’s heart different from Saul’s?
How does this text lead us to Christ and to deeper worship and trust in Him?
How can we develop and protect our heart so as to be more like Christ (and David)?
SIV - How will a heart that is after God’s own heart lead us into mission?
SIV - Do we have any stories of how we have ‘Served, Invested, and inVited’ recently?
SIV - Spend some time together talking and praying about who and how you are seeking to bring your community to Jesus.
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