I trust in you with all my heart. Don't let me wander away from your commands (Psalm 119:10).

"A man after my own heart", God said of David. Is your heart healthy? Do our hearts align with God's? A week ago, we explored one answer, David's desire to be obedient to God's law.

On its surface, Psalm 119 is boring. It's repetitive. But I think we miss the point. Its goal is not content but enchantment with the Word of God. It's a carefully crafted poem which oozes with delight in how God has created and ordered the world. There is nothing better for the psalmist than to follow this God. Here is an invitation to catch the joy of obedience.

If obedience is one aspect of a person after God's own heart, close on its heels is humility. The delight in this psalm can only come from a place of willing submission to God. In our reflections on obedience, it was mentioned that David waited for God to put him on the throne of Israel. He would not claim it by force as his right.

This was an act of humility towards God. In 1 Samuel 25, David is slighted by Nabal and sets out to get vengeance. On the way, he is intercepted by Nabal's wife who begs her husband's pardon. David recognizes that God has sent her to keep him from doing wrong and he let's go of his desire for vengeance. Humility.

There is the sordid tale of David sleeping with Uriah's wife followed by a murderous cover up. When Nathan confronts him regarding this sin, David responds, "I have sinned against the Lord" (2 Samuel 12:13). Humility. Later, David counts his fighting men. This displeases God, who forces him to choose which punishment Israel will endure. When David makes his choice he says, "I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great…" (2 Samuel 24:14). Humility.

In each case of disobedience, David responded with an admission of guilt and a turning back to the Lord, something Saul refused to do. He made excuses (cf. 1 Sam 15:24-25). Humility before the Lord acknowledges our disobedience and then turns back towards obedience.

Disobedience never has to be the last word. With God there is mercy, forgiveness. We do not need to approach God with fear in our disobedience, but rather, we may "enter boldly because of the blood of Jesus" (Hebrews 10:19). Our identity is formed by being God's children, not by our disobedience. We are daughters and sons of the King.

If you have wandered far from God, turn back. Humble yourself before him. God's mercy is great. He loves you and wants nothing more than your face to be turned towards him.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

"May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).