“I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” (Psalm 40:8)

David was a man after God’s own heart. From our point of view that is a puzzle because David is portrayed making so many really bad mistakes. He is guilty of sins that repel most Christians and we wonder how a man so marred by sin could be a man after God’s own heart.

What was it about David that God was so attracted to him and so honored him? We know what David did wrong. At least we know enough. David said his sin was ever before him and that he needed a new heart. David cheated, lied, betrayed and even murdered. Whatever endured him to the mind of God must be a powerful trait and one we would certainly want to emulate.

Could this verse be a clue? Is this why David was so loved by God? Two things David said illustrate who I am. One, I desire to do right. Two, your law is in my heart. We might say, “Whoa, wait a minute David. How can you say that you desire to obey? Look at your list of wrongs. Do you really desire to obey? Seems as if you really wanted to do the will of God you’d clean up your act.

Is the law really in your heart, David? Is it guiding you, directing your thoughts and actions? How do you expect us to believe that in light of the evidence? If the law is in your heart, it should be in your life.

With these two questions, we get to the core of what is going on. There is the desire to obey and there is the knowledge of what and how to obey but at that point, we run into problems. Like David, we want to do good. We want to live according to what is right and what God’s wants. But, like David and Paul and all the great men of yore who wanted those things we fail. We fail because of the weakness of the flesh. Even though we have knowledge of what is right and want to do what is right we wind up in failure.

Task for Today: Don’t beat yourself up over sin. That’s why you have Jesus. Give your life to Him and He will also take your sin. His Spirit will be yours as a guide. Use the guide. Live by the Spirit today. Seek God with all your heart and mind and strength.