RUN LIKE A CHAMPION

The making of a man or woman of God boils down to heart issues. Out of the heart flows victory or defeat. It’s in the heart that we find direction — or fall into deception. I think of two men who surrendered their lives to Christ through my ministry. Both were on fire for God. One became a fiery evangelist and reached his school and town for Christ. The other became a passionate pastor. He shared Christ with everyone around him and sought to build the body of Christ. Today the once-fiery evangelist sits on the sidelines of ministry. But the passionate pastor has become a respected leader in the Christian community.
What happened? What made the difference in the two? I’m convinced that both truly knew Christ and loved Him deeply. But each came to the place in their lives where they had to make some important decisions. One became enamored with fame. The other wanted to simply please God. One allowed his heart to follow the lead of his flesh. The other set his heart on God and crucified his flesh. One could be described as a man after God’s own heart. The other will go down in God’s book as a man who traded his heart for God for a heart for the world.
If we are to be God’s man or woman. it’s critical that we develop and maintain a heart for God. David was described as a man after God’s own heart. Before we can understand what that means, perhaps we need to understand the nature of the human heart. The heart is the seat of our intellect, emotions, and will. It’s the center of our innermost being. It enables us to reason, feel, and choose.
God chose David because in the deepest part of his being, he meditated on, longed after, and decided for God. In short, he was a man after God’s own heart. God chose David because of what was in his heart: his thoughts, his feelings, his decisions. God has not changed. The Bibles says, “For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His” (2 Chronicles 16:9 nasb).
God diligently seeks men and women in this generation who have a heart for Him. When He finds such a person, He will act strongly on their behalf. That’s an incredible promise. So the big question is this: What does it mean to have a heart after God? What kind of heart did David have? When we read the Psalms, we find much of what was in David’s heart. One characteristic in David’s heart that jumps off the pages is trust. David trusted in God — His character and His deeds. He understood the character of God as good, holy, and all-powerful. David knew he could trust God.
Where did David’s faith originate? First, he meditated on God’s Word. He wrote, “I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11). People with great confidence in God are those who have spent time filling their hearts with the Word of God. Out of that meditation on the word of God, David developed a believing heart. He said, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1). David knew it was foolish to choose not to believe. He made a wise choice in life: to believe.
David also knew that to maintain a believing heart, he would need a heart that depended on God. He was placed into situations where he must depend on God or die. He said to God, “For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.” (Psalm 61:3, 4). David depended on God.
Finally, David’s trust in God was based on his deep conviction that God is good. He wrote, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalms 37:4). Out of his intellectual understanding, deep feelings, and heartfelt choices, David had come to know that God loved and cared for His children. That’s why he could confidently say, “Don’t worry. Delight in God. He’ll take care of you.”
What’s in your heart today? Guard you heart. Out of it will flow victory or defeat.