Acts 13
13. Now Paul and his companions put out to sea from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia; but John left them and returned to Jerusalem.
14. But going on from Perga, they arrived at Pisidian Antioch, and on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.
15. After the reading of the Law and the Prophets the synagogue officials sent to them, saying, "Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it."
16. Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, "Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen:
17. "The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out from it.
18. "For a period of about forty years He put up with them in the wilderness.
19. "When He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land as an inheritance--all of which took about four hundred and fifty years.
20. "After these things He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.
21. "Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.
22. "After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, 'I HAVE FOUND DAVID the son of Jesse, A MAN AFTER MY HEART, who will do all My will.'
Have you ever seen a gravestone that had etched upon it a poignant epitaph of the person buried there? It is not uncommon to see descriptions like “Devoted Mother” or “Beloved Friend” on these markers. In the distant future, after we all have passed on, what would you want someone to read on your tombstone? What epitaph would summarize the best part of your life?
In the book of Acts, we discover how the mighty King David was remembered by history. In a sermon to a group that was primarily Jewish, the apostle Paul refers to David, who of course was well known to the audience. Remembering all of the king’s great accomplishments during his reign, how does Paul choose to describe him? He declares that David was the one person whom God called “a man after My own heart” (Acts 13:22; 1 Samuel 13:14).
What does it mean to be a man after God’s own heart? For David, it required an intimate relationship with God. (Psalm 63:1, 6-8) This entails much more than simply a regular routine of rote prayers; rather, this intimacy is founded upon an intense yearning to grow as close to the Father as possible. (Psalm 42:1)
What would it take for you to be described as a man or woman after God’s own heart? What activities would need to be removed? What practices would need to be added? Ask God for His help in making these adjustments—and for the commitment to make this epitaph the goal of your life. |