Wai

ti
ngOnGod’
sPr
omi
ses–Par
t1:
Dot
heHear
tWor
k
Heyguy s!Iam r
eall
ythankf
ulfort
heresponsesthaty ougavemyf i
rstpost
.Theengagement
exceededmyexpect ati
onsandIhaveenjoyedreadingthecomment sanddiscussi
ngthe
materi
al wit
hthosewhocomment edandcont actedmedi r
ectl
y.Ihopethatthi
sweek’
spostwil
l
equall
yexciteandblessyouguysasyour eadi
t.

Thisweek' sSundaySer vecontinueswi tht hesamet heme-God’ spromises.LastweekI

suggestedt hatmay bet hereasonf orthewai tisf orGodt oworkonourat ti
tudeandper spectiv
e.
Thisweek’ spostexpandst hispoint.Ihadpl annedoutamuchl ongerpostbutIhopet hat
breaki
ngi tinpart
sasIhav edonewi l
lmaket hi
smessagemor edigesti
blewhilest
ill
retaini
ng
themessageandt haty ouwillkeepont hel ookoutf orthefoll
ow-uppostsintheweekst ocome.
WhatIwr itehereissuggest i
veandnotpr escr i
ptive.Iwoul dencourageeveryonewhor eadst hi
s
togobackt othequot edscr i
pturesandaskt heHol ySpiri
ttoalsogiveapersonalrevel
ationthat
bestsuitsy oursi
tuati
onandci rcumst ances.TheWor dofGodi mpactsusbestwhenweseek
suchar evelati
onandt hereisnospeci al qual i
ficationr equi
redforhimtospeakt oyou.

Dav i
d’sst oryst
artsoffwithhim bei
ngcountedout!WhenSamuel wasi nstr
uctedtoanointthe
nextkingf r
om thehouseofJesse, onlyDavi
d’sol
derbrotherswereinvitedtothesacri
fi
ce
ceremonySamuel usedasacov erstorysot
hatSauldoesn’tki
llhi
mf oranointi
nganotherking
toreplacehi m.Hewasoutwi ththesheepbecausehisfatherprobablyassumedhewasn’ told
enought oparti
cipat
eint heceremony .WhenSamuelsawJesse’ ssons, hefel
tthatsomeof
Dav i
d’solderbrotherslookthepar t
,yetGodcauti
onedhim stati
ngthatheshoul dn’
tlookatthe
appear ancesbecauseGodl ooksattheheart(1Samuel16:7).Thisi
st hestart
ingpointofour
wait.

Dav id’
skindofpr omisewasananoi nting.Hewasanoi nt
edt obecomethenextkingofI sr
ael
afterthefir
stki ngofIsrael
,Saul
,haddi sobey edGod’sWor dmul t
ipl
eti
mes.Saul seemedt ocare
mor eaboutwhatt hepeoplethoughtt hanwhatGodt hought.Forthatr
eason, t
heLordsought
outamanaf terHisownhear t”t
obecomet henextking.Thisdescri
pti
onf i
tsDavidperf
ectl
y .He
i
st hepsal mistwhowr otei
nPsalm 16: 5-8,beingakingwi t
hmassi v
eterr
itor
iesandtreasures
thatGodi shisi nher
it
anceandHi sbl essing,acknowledgingthatHewast heonewhosecur ed
allthatDavidhadgai nedmat eri
all
y.Ev enthen, her
eliedonGodf orgui
danceandkepthi sfocus
onGod.

“Lord,
youalonearemypor t
ionandmycup; youmakemyl otsecure.Theboundar
yl i
neshave
fal
lenformeinpleasantpl
aces;sur
elyIhaveadeli
ght
ful
inheri
tance.Iwil
lpr
aisetheLord,who
counselsme;evenatnightmyheartinst
ruct
sme.Ikeepmyey esalway sontheLord.WithHim
atmyr i
ghthand,Iwil
lnotbeshaken.
”Psalm 16:
5-8

Thi
sheartf
orGodandthi
sdependenceonHi
missomethi
ngthatwasshapedi
nDav i
dlong
bef
orehebecameki
ng.Whil
ehewasashepherdboy
,thi
slov
eforGodwasdeveloped,l
eadi
ng
tohisanoi
ntinganditkeptbeingnurt
uredov
erthey earswhil
ehewai tedf orthedayhewould
beappointedasking.ItgoeshandinhandwithJesus’ i
nst
ruct
ioninMat thew6: 33t
hatsays
thatweshouldseekf i
rsttheki
ngdom ofGodandHi sright
eousness.God’ sfavorwil
lbeuponus
andhispromi seswi
llnotonlycomeourwaybuthisbl essi
ngswillovert
akeusi fwest ar
twit
h
whatismosti mport
ant .

Thet i
mebet weentheanointi
ngandt heappoi nti
ngisjustli
keanyper i
odofwai ti
ngforanyof
God’spromises.Thisweekwewi l
lseethatthepur poseofDav i
d’swai twast oposit
ionhim –to
puthimi naposit
ionwher eGodcant henest abli
shhim askingint heey esoftheIsr
aeli
tes.I
n
l
astweek’ spostIproposedthatthepurposeoft hewai ti
stoshapet her i
ghtatt
it
udeand
perspecti
vetowardsthepromisesofGod.Thati nwardt r
ansfor
mat ionmakesuppar tofthe
processofpositi
oningwhichinvolv
esaddr essingone’sposturetowar dsGodandHi spromises.
Aswegetal ongwi t
hhi sj
ourneywewi l
lseet hathowDav i
dwai t
edonGodal l
owedGodt ouse
thi
sper i
odtopositi
onhi mforGod’spromisesandhowwecanal lowGodt odot hesamei nour
l
ives.

Itisn’t“har dwor k”butr at

her“ heartwork”t hatwi l
lmakeusadel i
ghttoGodsucht hatHi searis
turnedt owar dsus, l
isteni
ngoutf orourpr ayersandanswer ingthem.Ital
somakesi teasi erfor
ust omov ei nthepur posethatGodhasf orus.Weseet hisexpli
cit
lywhenSaul i
srejectedas
king.Whi leSaul offeredsacr i
fi
cest otryandgai nt heLord’
sf av
orwhenheact edcont raryto
God’ sinst ructi
on, Godwant edahear tthatwast urnedtowardshim andreadytoobeyHi m.In
Psal m 66: 18-19, t
hepsal mistsay s“IfIhadcher ishedsininmyhear t,
theLordwoul dnothav e
l
istened; butGodsur elyli
stenedandhashear dmypr ayer”
.Heartworkgoeshandi nhandwi th
thepost uret hatonecar ri
est owar dsGodandHi sWor d.GodcalledDavid“amanaf terhisown
hear t”andi fwecont rastthiswithacher i
shingsi ninone’
shear t
,weseet heki
ndofhear t
post urewear emeantt ohav e–t hatis,onet hatdesir
eswhatpl easestheheartofGodmor e
thanany thingel se.

From t heconditi
onofourhear tflowst hei nstructivedesiresthateitherl
eaduscl osertothe
heartofGodorf urt
herawayf rom i t
.Isourdel i
ghtandar eourhear t’
sdesirestur
nedt owards
pleasingGodandwor shippingHi m?Thi si sn’tay esornoquest ionbutratheronethatli
esona
spectrum.Somet i
meswecanbesocl oseourhear t sbeattother hythm ofGod’sownhear tbeat
andsomet i
meswear esof arawayweneedt ober emindedofwhathedesi r
esfrom us.
Wher ev erourheart
smayl ieont hatspect rum, wecanal way sfindawayt ogetcloserorstay
cl
oset oHi shear
t.Mat t
hew6: 33t al
ksabout_ seeking_theKingdom ofGodandhi s
ri
ghteousnesswhi l
eDav idwasaman_ after_God’ shear t
.Thisshowsacont inuouspursuitthat
wehav egott obeon.Wear efortunatet hatwecansetoutont hi squestbydrawingcloserto
Godandgr owthisdesireinsideofus.Wecandot hisbyseekingHi minHiswor d,thr
ough
prayerandwhenwor shippingHimt hroughsongs.
Ireadsomet hingoncet hatsai
d“ I
tst ar
tsasadi scipli
nebef or ei
tisadel i
ght”andIt hinkitcan
ber elatedtothispursui tforGod’
shear t.Youcanal igny ourr outi
net owardsseekingt heheartof
Godt hr oughoutourdaybyhav i
ngsett imesforreadi ngHi swor d,prayerandli
steningt oor
si
ngi ngwor shipmusi c/songs.Whathappensi sthatt hemor ey oufeedont hewor dofGod,
al
lowi ngt heHolySpirittowor kinusandf i
ndingjoyi nHi mt hroughwor shipandpr aise,youare
“t
ransf ormedbyt herenewi ngofy ourmind”(Romans12: 2).Itgoesf ur
thertosayt hatifwehav e
beent r
ansformedi nthatway ,
weal ignourselveswi t
h“ Hi sgoodandper f
ectwill
”.Thi sis
essent i
allyal
igningour selvestothehear tofGodsucht hatwegett oexper i
encehi sdesiresfor
usandt hewor ldaroundus.

Buildingt hi
skindofr outi
neissomet hingt hatisuniquetoeachper son.Weseet hatDav iddi
d
somost lythroughmusi c.Hewasaski l
l
edhar pi
standcomposer .Thiswassomet hinghe
probabl ydidinthesol i
tudeoft hepast uref i
eldswhilehetendedhi sf ather’ssheep.Butt hisdi
d
notnegat etheothertenetssuchasr eadingt heWor dofGod, v
isiti
ngt het empl eont heSabbath
orpr ay i
ngr egular
ly.Thepsal msandchr oniclesshowust hathepr act i
cedal lthesetenet sas
well.Weshoul dgetont hejourneyt odiscov erourownr outi
neandwhatbestwor ksf orusin
doingt hehear tworkandget t
ingcl osertoGodbutt hisshoul
dencompassal lthemet hodsset
outbyGodhi mselfthatwill
nour ishoursoul s,beiti
ndiff
erentmeasur es.WhatIhav e
di
scov er edisthateachseasonal sor equiresadi f
ferentmethod.Somet i
mes, weneedcr youtto
Godsowedr awcloset ohimi npr ayermor et hanwepr obablysingandpr aise.Ot hert i
meswe
needt hei nstr
ucti
vewi sdom oft hewor dofGodsowear edrawnt omedi t
at i
ngupont he
Scriptur es.

Whatisbeaut i
ful
aboutpursuingGod’sheartist hatwecaneternall
ydr awcl
osertoHi m and
neverloset hesenseofwonderandamazementt hatcomeswithit,norcanweev erexhaustthe
my st
erieswecanf i
ndatthedepthsofhishear t.ThismakesHear tWor kanever
-endingquest
thatcont i
nuestodr awusclosertoGod,continuest orev
ealt
heki ngdom ofGodtousand
conti
nual l
ysanctif
iesusasweseekhi srighteousness.Doingthehear tworkwhil
ewewai ton
God’spr omisesbuildst
herelati
onshi
pthatwi llsustai
nusevenbey ondt hewai
t.

Wewi l
lseeinnextweek’spostthatDavid’shear
tworkcreatedthesourcethatinf
ormedhi s
otherendeav or
sduringtheti
mehewai tedonGod’ spromises.Theseincl
udehowhewasa
fai
thfulstewardwhil
ehewai tedfort
hebi ggerpr
omisesandhowhef oughtpersonalbatt
lesin
pri
vatewhi chsethim upforGod’spr
omi ses.Whil
eIwr ot
ethis,i
toccurr
edtomehowmany
paral
lelscanbedr awnbetweenDav i
d’sper i
odofwait
ingandJoseph’s.Iguesst hepurposeof
t
heparal
lel
sist
oshowthatDavid’
swaiti
ngisn’tuni
queandthatt
helessonswemaydrawfrom
t
hem canbeappl
ieduni
ver
sal
ly.Iwil
li
ncl
udet hesepar
all
elsi
nthefol
low-uppost
sandhope
t
hatt
hisonewil
lleav
eyoueagertoreadthenextone.

Tel
lmeyourthought
sandref
lect
ionsonthi
sweek'
sSundaySer
veinthecomment
ssect
ion
bel
owandletusengagei
nordertoedif
yeachot
her.Hav
eablessedweek!