By Samuel Oyejola
It is amazing that the same God who regretted creating man in the book of Genesis, came to say that He has found a man after His heart in the book of Kings.
In Genesis, all things were relatively in order with the original design in spite of the fall; yet God after searching the heart of man and its intent, declared unequivocally that every thought and intent of man was persistently evil. How then did God find a man after his heart in the days of the Kings, an era of great wickedness and iniquity?
Well, let it suffice us to believe the Almighty God of Truth with whom there is no variableness and to whose nature the very spec of lie is absolutely contrary. His words are Yea and Amen, so if He found such a man at such a time, true it is. Every noble believer, like the Bereans of Paul’s day, must pay attention, lay it to heart and search diligently to understand better the mind and standard of God.
While examining God’s testimony at that time and comparing it with peculiar cases as that of Job in his days, Enoch in the first world and Nathaniel in the New Testament, it seems to me that God in every age, generation and time never lacks His man. Like He said to Elijah, there are always 7,000 faithful whom He reserves who have never bowed to Baal – 1 Kings 19:18. I will dare to say that God has been in the business of planting beacons of light at a time the world seems to be darkest. This is why at such a time when the wickedness of mankind was enough to turn His eyes away from man, He searched and found the man after His heart saying, “I have found David the son of Jesse a man after my own heart which shall fulfil my will.” Acts 13:22
Notice that God did not find a prophet, priest, bishop, pastor, deacon and the likes, but A MAN. A mere man, a man void of the qualifications, titles, honour, recognition and applause of men, but who loved the praise of God rather than that of men. A man, though obscure from the gaze of the world, was a burning and shining light by God’s estimation. Ponder this dear reader and take it to heart because in these evil days, you can be that man.
This man after God’s heart was also plagued with the same depravity, temptation and sinful tendency by which every man today is infested. Yet through the multitude of weakness, compromise and fallings, he arose a man after the heart of the most Holy God whose eyes are too pure to behold iniquity. This beloved, sheds more light on the doctrine of unmerited Grace and unconditional election. God looks not on the outward appearance or frailties of the man but searches and judges the thoughts and intents of the heart.
…the man after my heart …which shall fulfil my will.
Whereas God may not show up in our day to declare who it is to whom this title is suited; yet following this acclamation is a parameter by which any man desiring this honour may weigh or judge if he’s suited for it. This account is recorded for our benefit so that he who is in doubt because of the multitude of his failure or about to despair because his sincere motives and efforts seem to go unnoticed, would cheer up. So long as there is a continuous longing and readiness to do God’s will no matter how imperfect the outcome, even if your motive may be misunderstood by men, know it that God that searches the heart shall on that great day say faithful servant, you are the man after my heart.
This account also contains admonition for him whose holy zeal for God’s will has been changed by the love of money, applause of men, positions of honour or have been beguiled to follow after the pernicious ways of false brethren. Give your soul no rest. Say like the prodigal son, “I will return!” Go boldly before the throne of grace, you will find help and mercy – Hebrews 4:16.
Our world today is saturated with all the indications and signs that Christ hinted to his disciples about the end of time. The world has become worldlier and the sanctity of the church is wavering. One may be tempted to conclude that a man after God’s heart in this generation may be the single needle in a haystack. However, God works in mysterious ways; He told Elijah that there were 7,000 prophets who refused to bow to Baal at a time Elijah thought he was the only true prophet of the Most High.
If a man allows the operation of Divine Grace in his heart and purges himself of all iniquities, he shall become a vessel unto honour, sanctified and suitable for the Master’s use, prepared onto every good work; and if this man will love righteousness and hate iniquity, he shall be anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows; he shall be distinguished as a man after God’s heart.
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