The Key to the heart of God
“How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.” (1 Samuel 13:13-14 NLT)
I will praise you seven times a day because all your regulations are just. (Psalm 119:164 NLT)
Praise and thanksgiving is the Key to God's heart. In the Bible, God appointed a king over Israel named Saul. This man did not obey the Lord and so the Lord took the kingdom away and gave it to “someone who was better” than him. This new king was better because he was a man “after God's own heart.” This person was none other than king David. King David did not begin as a king, in fact he began as a rejected shepherd boy. He was the son of Jesse who had many other sons. In fact when the prophet came to Jesse’s house to anoint the next king, Jesse didn't even bother to bring David before the prophet. Jesse couldn't conceive that David would even be an option to be anointed by the prophet. What caused David to start at the lowest place possible and rise to become the king over all israel? He discovered the key to God's heart. What was the key that David discovered? The Bible says that David praised God seven times per day. There are only sixteen waking hours in a day. If these sixteen hours were divided by seven, it would come out to a little over two. That means David praised God every two hours. Can you imagine setting an alarm on your phone every two hours for a praise break? David did not have an iphone, I have no doubt that David praised God seven times a day but I think the greater idea here is that David was a man that kept praise on his lips. As David kept praise on his lips, he unlocked the heart of God. As he unlocked the heart of God, he was promoted to the very top. I decree: As you start living a lifestyle of Praise to God, you will be promoted into every good work as a man and woman who has unlocked the heart of God!
Today: Act on the word right now and take a praise break. Lift your hands and begin to praise the Lord!