1 Samuel 16:7
For God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance,
but the Lord looks at the heart.
In both the Old and New Testaments, the word “Heart” refers to the center of an individual’s mental, emotional and spiritual life. Put another way, the heart is the “innermost part of man.” The heart reflects the real person.
Heart and Mind are connected… the Heart knows what is good and bad, heart can understand, reflect, and remember. Heart and Emotions are connected… the Heart is the seat of joy, courage, pain, anxiety, despair, sorrow and fear. Heart and our Spiritual Life are also connected. God “tries the heart,” “sees the heart,” “refines the heart,” and “searches the heart.” The Scriptures make it clear that a person may have an “evil heart,” may be “godless in heart,” may be “perverse and deceitful in heart” and he can “harden his heart.” However, a person may also have a “clean heart” and a “new heart.”
Acts 13:22 (NIV)
After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him:
'I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'
To understand David as a person there are two basic questions that need to be asked and answered.
What was David’s view of God?
What was God’s view of David?
The Psalms give us a unique and rich source to answer these questions. Most scholars believe that David wrote at least 73 of these poetic expressions. And the Psalms he wrote communicates clearly David’s view of God and God’s view of David.
WHAT WAS DAVID’S VIEW OF GOD?
Practically every psalm David penned gives us insight into his ideas, attitudes and feelings toward God. Consequently we can only highlight the answer for this first question.
1). THE OMNIPOTENT CREATOR
David viewed God as all-powerful. Several of David’s psalms focus extensively on God’s creative power. David often talks about the splendor, beauty and mysteries of nature. David’s view of God’s creative power in nature often generated praise, thanksgiving and worship in his heart. We see in Psalm 19 and 29.
2). THE OMNISCIENT GOD
David also viewed God as all-knowing. He recognized that God knew everything about him – every detail of his heart and his actions – at any given moment. Note the opening verse of Psalm 139:1-6.
1 O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
3 You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.
5 You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.
3). THE OMNIPRESENT GOD
David not only viewed God as omnipotent and omniscient, but also as present everywhere. In other words, there was no place David could go but that God was there to guide, to protect, to comfort and to search out his heart.
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
4). THE GOD OF LOVING CONCERN
Seeing God’s power in nature led David to appreciate more fully God’s loving concern for mankind. The fact that the Lord gave human beings a certain degree of authority and control over His natural creation overwhelmed David. This is expressed in Psalm 8:3-6
3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
4 What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels,[b]
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet, …
5). THE GOD OF FAITHFULNESS, HOLINESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS
The vastness of the universe also reminded David of God’s personal attributes. Thus he wrote in Psalm 36:5,6.
5 Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the great mountains;
Your judgments are a great deep;
O LORD, You preserve man and beast.
WHAT WAS GOD’S VIEW OF DAVID?
We’ve looked at David’s view of God. But how did God view David? When the Lord looked beyond this young man’s outward appearance and looked at his heart, what did He see? Again, the psalms give us a significant profile on David’s inner qualities.
1). A BELIEVING HEART
When God looked at David’s heart. He saw a heart that believed in His existence. So convinced was David of this existence that He wrote: “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1; 53:1). When God looked at David’s heart the day he was chosen to be king, He saw a heart that believed in His existence. To David, any man who denied the existence of God was a fool.
2). A THANKFUL HEART
God also saw a thankful heart – a heart that was totally overwhelmed with God’s love and provisions. This is reflected in a number of psalms David wrote.
(Psalm 9:1)
1 I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
3). A TRUTHFUL HEART
David’s view of God caused him to want to reflect God’s character. This is obvious in Psalm 15.
1 LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
2 He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his heart;
4). AN OPEN HEART
David knew God was omniscient. He did not try to hide from God. His heart was open and transparent.
(Psalm 139:23,24)
23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
5). AN EXPECTANT HEART
David trusted God to meet his needs.
(Psalm 37:4,5)
4 Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
6). A REPENTANT HEART
When David sinned against God, he demonstrated a truly repentant heart. David sought forgiveness because he had failed the God he loved. Thus in Psalm 51, he prayed:
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.
7). A HUMBLE HEART
David knew his limitations. He knew he had strengths but he also knew he had weaknesses. When God looked upon David’s heart He saw a man with a proper balance in the area of self-image. This is reflected in one of David’s shortest psalms (131:1):
1 My heart is not proud, Lord,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.
8). A DEPENDENT HEART
David knew how much he needed God to sustain him. He could not fulfill his responsibilities in his own strength. Note his prayer in Psalm 61:
1 Hear my cry, O God;
listen to my prayer.
2 From the ends of the earth I call to you,
I call as my heart grows faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3 For you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the foe.
4 I long to dwell in your tent forever
and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
9). A HEART THAT REMEMBERED / CHERISHED GOD'S LAW
Because David wanted to do God’s will in all things, he committed the law of God to memory. Thus he could write in Psalm 40:8.
8 I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart.”
CONCLUSION :
David was not a perfect man. But he had a proper view of God, which affected his own heart and caused him to be a person God could use, in spite of his human weaknesses. What about you? What is your view of God? And what is His view of you?
David’s view of God should be our view of God.
Like David do we know :
# God’s Omnipotence (that God is all-powerful)
# God’s Omniscience (that God knows everything)
# God’s Omnipresence (that God is present everywhere)
# God’s Loving Concern (for all mankind and for you and me personally)
# God’s Faithfulness
# God’s Righteousness, His Holiness
God’s view of David should be His view of us.
Using David’s example, let us evaluate our own heart attitudes.
Like David do we have :
# a Believing Heart
# a Thankful Heart
# a Truthful Heart
# an Open Heart
# an Expectant Heart
# a Repentant Heart
# a Humble Heart
# a Dependent Heart
# a Heart that cherished God’s Word
1 Samuel 16:7
For God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
