But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command. (1 Samuel 13:14)

You may remember David for being a king or for beating Goliath in an epic battle. David’s story is one of those Bible stories that inspires us to face with courage whatever God lays before us. However, one of the noteworthy moments in David’s story was when God said that he was “a man after God’s own heart.” David was far from perfect. He was a shepherd turned king. He committed adultery with Bathsheba and then arranged her husband’s death. He messed up again and again, however we can see in the Psalms that David had a deep love for God and a willingness to repent, and that he met with God often. When he sinned, he didn’t hide; he repented and turned back to God because his relationship with God mattered most and he wanted to be aligned with him.

It’s encouraging to note that God chose David to lead because of his pure desires for God, not because he was the best behaved, most talented, or most skilled in the world’s terms.

What does that mean for us? We are all called to follow Jesus, and that means we are to live in harmony with what God’s heart desires for his people. As our kids grow up, it can be easy for them to follow their own hearts or what others want. But we can encourage them to make decisions and lead others based on God’s desires, not earthly desires, and that is hard!

Let’s pray that our kids are known as people after God’s own heart and that each of our children reflects the heart of God in their schools, communities and friend circles.

Father, please help __________ to desire what you desire. Lead them to live in a way that’s pleasing to you. I pray they know your heart more and more each year. Give them a heart like David’s, one that seeks you above all else and makes time to meet with you day after day. Amen.

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