David   A man after Gods own heart.

Surely one of the greatest commendations given to any man in the Word of God is that which was given to King David whilst he was yet an obscure Shepard boy when God said of him that he was "A man after my own heart".
 In 1 Sam 13 vs 14Samuel the prophet is challenging king Saul for his way wardness and proclaims that God is about to take away the kingdom from him and give it to another man when he says these amazing words
"But now your kingdom shall not continue.
The Lord has sought for himself a man after his own heart,and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over his people"
In the book of Acts in the new testament Paul the Apostle  reaffirms this statement made by God to David
"And when he had removed him,(Saul)he raised up for them David as king,to whom also he gave testimony and said,
"I have found David the son of Jesse,a man after my own heart,who will do all my will."

I cannot imagine a more blessed commendation to have heard proceeding from the mouth of God then that I was a man who would pursue diligently the things which where upon the heart of God and that I would accomplish all of his will.
This statement is made all the more remarkable when you understand the magnitude of the other promises which were given to David.
In 2 Sam 7 vs 8--17 we read the following statement,
Now there fore thus you shall say to my servant David,
"Thus says the Lord of Hosts.
"I took you from the sheep fold from following the sheep,to be ruler over my people,over Israel.
And I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you,and have made you a great name,like the name of the great men who are on the earth,
Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel,and will plant them,that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more;nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them any more,as previously.
Since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel,and have caused you to rest from all your enemies.Also the Lord tells you that he will make you a house.
When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers,I will set up your seed,after you,who will come from your body,and I will establish his kingdom
He shall build a house for my name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
I will be his father and he will be my son.If he commits iniquity,I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the son of men.
But my mercy shall not depart from him,as I took it from Saul,whom I removed from before you.
And your house and your kingdom shall be established for ever before you.
Your throne shall be established forever."

When God spoke these promises to king David saying that his throne would continue forever he was speaking of Jesus the messiah who would come from David generational line in Joseph and would rule as the King of every king in an everlasting kingdom that is without end.
David was a type of Christ pointing to a greater fulfilment in Jesus as the greatest of Kings over all the earth.
Consider this; David was given a promise that the Messiah would come in the line of his descent he was told that Gods mercy would never been taken from his descendants even if they did wrong as it had been taken from King Saul.
They would be disciplined but God would refuse to lift his hand of mercy from them and David was told that he would be given a name as great as any of the great kings who lived on the earth.
In psalm 89 these promises are amplified even more and we are told that David would be established by the hand of God and strengthened by the supernatural help of the Lord that no enemy would ever be permitted to outwit him or any wicked person afflict him.
God declared that he personally would beat down Davids foes from before him and come against those who hated him, that Gods name would exalt Davids horn (his honour) and God would never remove His abundant love and kindness from David.(Psalm 89  19   37)
What makes these  promises all the more remarkable was the fact that these were given in spite of the serious failures that David committed before the Lord.
Why did King Saul have Gods hand of Mercy removed from him when he fell away, and yet David in spite of murder and adultery was given these unalterable promises of such magnitude.?
I believe that the key to understanding the answer to this question lies in that one statement that David was found a man after Gods own heart."
If we can understand what it was in David that constituted those qualities which made him a man after Gods own heart then, we can understand why he qualified for these promises of such magnitude.
Furthermore I believe that God is no respester of persons what he said to David he will say to every one of us who reconizes in Davids life those qualities that made him great and endevours to emulate them in ours.
May it be said of you and I at the end of our earthly life " They were a man or a woman after Gods own heart."
I have discovered seven qualities in the heart of David that I believe made him a man after Gods own heart.
In the blogs to follow I want to breifly consider each one.