David was “a man after God’s own heart.” In 1 Samuel 13, as God takes the kingdom away from King Saul, Samuel the prophet says, “The Lord has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over His people” (1 Samuel 13:14). Saul was no longer faithful to God, and so God chose David.
David was a man after God’s own heart because he loved to consider, understand, and obey God’s instructions. In Psalm 119:97, he wrote, “O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.”
David was a man after God’s own heart because he acted with God’s wisdom. All of us make countless choices every day. In everything we do, we can choose to obey and honor God or choose an alternative. David often chose to act according to God’s wisdom (Psalm 119:65-72).
David was a man after God’s own heart because he was willing to repent of his sins. David was not perfect or sinless, and when Nathan the prophet described his sin, David said, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:13).
David was a man after God’s own heart because he was willing to trust God more than himself. As he stood before Goliath, while every other man was too scared to fight, David trusted in God, saying, “TheLord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:37).
Matt Langfield