I was reading a devotion today, and it centered around King
David–my favorite Old Testament character. The author
wrote that David had a heart that was in sync with God, but
even his heart was fickle and turned aside by temptation.

After some thought, I came to my own personal conclusion
that I don’t think David had a “fickle” heart. To me, fickle
means jumping from one passion to another, or one activity
to another, with no real solid connection to anything.

That was not David’s heart. Maybe I should call it the
“heart of hearts” part of David, and each one of us actually.

David’s life definitely had had ups and downs, from hiding
in a cave surrounded by enemies to being King of Judah!
From a shepherd boy alone in the fields to the unlikely
conqueror of the terrorizing Goliath. From living off the
land to beginning to gather the richest supplies on earth for
a temple in which the Living God would abide! Good
grief, how much can one person do in a lifetime?

His emotions also had been up and down. A man he’d
sworn allegiance to, and was his King–Saul–had set out to
kill him; he had to run from him and hide. He led wars
against God’s enemies, killed people himself, had others
killed. Then danced naked in the streets after he’d
recovered God’s holy Ark of Mercy and Covenant with His
people Israel. And, of course, he had an affair with
Bathsheba. He’d lost a beloved son (Absalom) along the
road of his life, too. And fathered Solomon (the wisest
man ever to live…even to this day!).

A reading of a dozen or so Psalms will give you a great
grasp on how David’s emotions sent him from being in a pit
of despair to praising God with all that was within him (and
all the instruments he could gather). And from knowing
God’s unfathomable mercy to praying God’s vengeance
upon his enemies (the Imprecatory Psalms).

All those circumstances comprised just parts of David’s
life. Just parts of his “heart,” or emotions.

But as I said, I don’t believe David’s “heart of hearts” was
fickle at all. I don’t believe he jumped from position to
position, or team to team as some athletes of today want to
do when they don’t get their way. And I don’t believe he
wanted all the glory for himself…even though he was King
of a great people. His writings declare the “Glory of God”
over and over; he wanted God’s ways to be honored, not
his own. His heart’s love never wavered.

He was committed to God alone. David ‘s heart never gave
up on God. He didn’t understand God and was honest
about that; he didn’t always “feel” God and was honest
about that, too. But his heart always loved God, and most
importantly yearned for God and God’s ways.

And I thank God that David was given to us an example.
I’m thankful to know that a man with as many ups and
downs in life could be said to “have God’s heart,” and have
God yearn for him in return.

There is hope! I don’t have to be perfect, or even “pretend”
to be holy. I can be honest, doubtful, sad, even depressed.
And I can know that my heart is still steady with love for
God. My Rock and my Redeemer. The One who calls me
“friend.”

by Cindy Best