Set Your Heart 1 Chr. 22:19 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
When you read through 1st Chronicles you see many instances of David accomplishing great things. In every case, it was the Lord who did the mighty things for David or through David. At the end of his life, we see David advising the princes of Israel to “set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God”. It was this practice in David’s life that placed him in the position where God could do the mighty things through him that he did.
David was a man after God’s own heart. He was chosen by the Lord as the king to replace Saul. When Samuel anointed David God made it clear that David was chosen for his heart [God looketh on the heart]. And look what God was able to do in David’s life when he set his heart to seek the Lord (the Lord himself did all of these things):
The Lord made David ruler of his people – 1 Chr 11:2 – not because that’s what David wanted, but because he sought the Lord.
The Lord made David wax greater and greater – 1 Chr 11:9 – because he set his heart to seek the Lord.
The Lord delivered the Philistines into David’s hand – 1 Chr 14:10, 15.
The Lord cut off all of David’s enemies – 1 Chr 17:8.
The Lord raised up David’s seed after him – 1 Chr 17:11 all the way to Jesus.
The Lord preserved David wherever he went – 1 Chr 18:13.
The Lord did all of these marvelous works when David sought him [1 Chr 16:11-12]. Do you not see that David’s concern was with setting his heart? It was up to the Lord what to do with him then. Likewise, if you will set your heart to seek the Lord, then the Lord can do the marvelous things in you life that he wants to do.
There were a few times when the David didn’t seek the Lord and others suffered. In those cases, David’s heart got in the way of what God wanted to do and the Lord either didn’t help him or stopped him altogether. These are the things that kept David’s heart from being set to seek the Lord:
Disobedience – Uzzah – 1 Chr 13:10 contrast 1 Chr 15:26.
Ambition – Building the house of the Lord – 1 Chr 17:1-4.
Lust – Bathsheba – 1 Chr 20:1.
Pride – Numbering the people – 1 Chr 21:1-4, 7-8.
Conclusion: Set your heart to seek the Lord so that he can do through you what he wants to do. And be careful that these four things that messed up the Lord’s work in David’s life don’t mess up his work in your life, as well.