King David is probably my second favorite Bible character.  Despite his numerous mistakes and the sins of adultery and murder, David is described as “a man after God’s own heart.”  I don’t know how you hear that, but it seems to suggest that David not only pursued a close relationship with God, but also desired to become increasingly more and more like the God he loved – to be changed in his inner man to reflect the essence of God’s character.

We as mere mortals cannot pretend to fully understand the depth of God’s love or the intentions of His heart.  But… we can invite the Spirit of God to invade us and change our stone-like hearts into hearts that care like Christ cares.  When we are willing to give up our selfishness and pride, and come to Father God with a broken & contrite heart, there is no limit to what God can do.  When Jesus reigns in our hearts, His love trumps the darkest darkness of our souls.

Because we are recipients of an undeserved and unsurpassed love – displayed through Christ’s substitutional & sacrificial suffering and death, we can become like David – men and women after God’s own heart.  We can become people of the cross – people who reflect the glory of our risen Lord!

Even though I don’t fully comprehend the heart of God, I can still ask God in his great mercy, to transform my heart to be more like His.  As we give ourselves to God we become more passionate about knowing God’s heart.  Rick Warren writes:   “Just hunger for God.  Always have as your number one ambition, ‘I want to know God more’.”

When some of the disciples asked Jesus to allow them to drink from His cup and to sit at his right hand in his Kingdom, Jesus said, “You don’t know what you are asking!”  Yet, I believe to a large extent Jesus granted their request by allowing them to take part in His suffering – enlarging their hearts so they could hold the same kind of love that the Father has for us.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)  And when we receive the Son, He creates in us a river of healing water that overflows from our hearts into the lives of each person we know.

Deep in the heart of God is a desire for us to become children who are fully His and who love like He loves.  Are you a man or woman after God’s own heart?