The following is a script used for the Take Ten with Pastor Don Podcast from October 17, 2023.

You can listen to the podcast on Spotify, Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, and Amazon podcasts. When you do listen, please subscribe so you will get notices each when our podcast goes live. Thanks.

****

Welcome to Take Ten with Pastor Don. I’m Don McGarvey, pastor of the Troy Mills Christian Church in Troy Mills, Iowa.

Last time I started to go through the characteristics that I thought made King David, a “man after God’s own heart.”

I’ve always referred to these ten things as “Characteristics of Young Davids” because I think they are something we need to start developing early in our lives.

That doesn’t mean we can’t change our ways and begin working on these things later in life but as a parent, these were things I wanted to see in my own kids, and now as a grandparent, I’m already praying for these characteristics to become evident in my grandchildren.

My idea of using the word “young” when I wrote this list was not so much chronological but represented more of an attitude or a “childlike faith” that God wants each of us, young, old, male or female to have.

I want them to be so in my own life as well as the lives of those whom I pastor. These characteristics are not optional as far as I am concerned.

Also, I don’t see these as the only characteristics needed. I wrote the Ten Characteristics of Young David’s as a great place to begin and launch ourselves into the things of God and become the men and women God has ordained for us to become.

We accomplish these things with the help of God’s Spirit, just as David did. And I read this morning in my own time in the Word that God gives the Spirit without limit so that means there is no ceiling on how far we can go in developing these characteristics and others.

When we left off last time, we mentioned the first five characteristics. For the sake of review, let me list them for you.

The first characteristic was that David was faithful. The second characteristic goes hand in hand with being faithful and that was David tackled whatever it was that came his way.

This included being a shepherd, learning to play the harp, perhaps even learning how to be effective with a sling shot.

We also know this time included rescuing his sheep from a lion and bear.

The third characteristic was that David didn’t try to be someone he wasn’t meant to be.

He didn’t try to wear King Saul’s armor when he faced Goliath. He knew he couldn’t move while wearing it, and it would probably mean sure victory for the giant and the Philistine army.

The fourth characteristic was that David stayed true to his own gifting. He was good with a sling but didn’t own a sword or a javelin. So, he used his sling, and expertly picked up five smooth stones from the brook to face the giant with.

The fifth characteristic was David was patient….most of the time. And I do emphasize “most of the time.”

David was anointed to be the next king of Israel long before he ever sat on the throne.

He was patient. He waited for God to do whatever needed to be done in order for his anointing to become a reality in life.

The sixth characteristic we talked about was that David was respectful.

He remained behind with his father, to watch his father’s sheep. He traveled to the front lines to take supplies.

Even when his older brother was rude and crude towards him, he didn’t respond in a similar manner. He simply moved on and took care of his own responsibilities.

He also knew Saul was the anointed king of Israel and he wouldn’t allow anyone to do anything that was not respectful of this.

The seventh characteristic that I think helped David become a man after God’s own heart was, he listened to wise counsel.

King David always had godly advisors surrounding him. He had Nathan, later a man named Gad. Perhaps his most trusted advisor was Ahithophel.

Before he was king, Saul’s son Jonathan was a trusted advisor to David and he trusted the leaders of his army along with the “mighty men” of David.

This must have been something King David passed along to his son, Solomon.

In Proverbs 11:14, Solomon wrote “For lack of guidance [counsel] a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.”

One could only wish Solomon had listened to his own counsel.

The next characteristic, #8, was David confessed his sin.

This characteristic may have been the key to David becoming a man after God’s own heart.

David made many mistakes. Some of his mistakes cost some their lives, some jeopardized the entire nation.

Unfortunately, one of his sinful mistakes cost the life of a loyal soldier and released a state of sinful mayhem in his own family.

But when David was confronted with his sin, he repented.

Psalm 51 is his song of repentance. God was merciful and God forgave him.

It’s a great prayer and David’s prayer should become ours.

Since none of us are going to achieve perfection this side of heaven, we must all learn to be quick and sincere in our willingness to confess our sin, repent, and move back to where God has made a place for us.

That’s our time for this time. Next time we will finish the list of Characteristics that made David a man after God’s own heart.

Thanks for joining us. If you haven’t subscribed yet, please do so.

And, as always, if you are comfortable with doing so, please let your friends know about us.

Thanks again and God bless!

(Next time, we will complete the list of ten Characteristics plus, talk about Paul’s statement of David being a man after God’s own heart. Hope you can join us.)