Becoming a Person After God’s Own Heart
Becoming a Person After God’s Own Heart.
Psalm 62 (A Psalm of King David):
1 Truly my soul finds rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from him.
2 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
3 How long will you assault me?
Would all of you throw me down—
this leaning wall, this tottering fence?
4 Surely they intend to topple me
from my lofty place (as king);
they take delight in lies.
With their mouths they bless,
but in their hearts they curse.
5 Yes, my soul, find rest in God alone;
my hope comes from him.
6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
7 My salvation and my honor depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
8 Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.
9 Surely the lowborn are but a breath,
the highborn are but a lie.
If weighed on a balance, they are nothing;
together they are only a breath.
10 Do not trust in extortion
or put vain hope in stolen goods;
though your riches increase,
do not set your heart on them.
11 One thing God has spoken,
two things I have heard:
“Power belongs to you, God,
12 and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”;
and, “You reward everyone
according to what they have done.”
Twice in Scripture, David is characterized as ‘a man after God’s own heart,’ (1 Samuel 13:14 | Acts 13:22). David’s journey was not a perfect one by any means. There were some high highs and some low lows. Nevertheless, a summarization of David’s life was marked by his intense desire to know, and be known by the Lord.
David actively gave the Lord full access to the very depths of his soul. In Psalm 62, David showed why he was classified as a man after God’s own heart:
#1. David found rest in God alone.
In verses 1 & 3, David emphasized the most important aspect of his life; living out of a place of rest in the Lord. David slowed himself down to hear God’s voice. We see the evidence of this in the backend of the Psalm:
- David understood that God was on the throne (. . .’power belongs to You, God,’ -verse 11).
- David understood that God was intimately involved in every area of his life (‘. . .with You is unfailing love,’ -verse 12).
- David understood that God was just, so he need not take matters into his own hands (‘. . . you reward everyone according to what they have done,’ -verse 12).
#2. David found stability in God’s character.
Throughout Psalm 62, David referred to God as:
- Salvation (verses 1, 2, 6).
- Rock (verses 2, 6).
- Fortress (verses 2, 6).
- Mighty Rock (verse 7).
- Refuge (verse 8).
- Strong (verse 11).
- Loving (verse 12).
Sandwiched between wrestling with his anxiety over those threatening him, David gazes on the nature of God. David gets under the surface of his fears and recalls where his hope comes from in verse 5 (my hope comes from God). Additionally, he concludes twice that God is his fortress (verses 2 & 6) and he will not be shaken (panic).
Instead of fretting over the intimidating threats of his enemies, David returns over and over to the solid ground of truth.
#3. David found the proper perspective.
In verse 9, David sums up the vapor of time that is life. He compares the ‘low born,’ and ‘high born’ and concludes that both are ‘only a breath.’ David spoke from experience as he went from ‘runt’ to ‘royalty’ (forgotten shepherd boy to king).
David eloquently shows the common thread of every human life; it’s shortness. As king, David’s enemies were threatening and intimidating him. How did he respond? David waited, quieted his soul, and fled from panic.
David got that God saw the entire picture in one view while he barely saw a part. Therefore, David stayed rooted in God and His will. As a result, David was able to sift through the craziness in order to find clarity.
Keep Looking Up,
Rev. Jon Barrett | Director of CVCCS