King's Heart

2 Samuel 14:1
Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king's heart longed for Absalom.

Heart comes up often in the whole sequence about Absalom. That is interesting. Some topics, some people seem to involve the concept more than others.
Absalom was the son of Maacah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur, David's third son. He was said to be incredibly handsome, and his sister Tamar was irresistibly beautiful. Maacah must have been very beautiful. Stunning good looks were not David's strong point, nor were any of the other offspring mentioned for their beauty. Maacah was a princess; Absalom went to his grandfather, the king, when he fled from the consequences of murdering his brother Amnon.
He stayed three years.
David got over the loss of Amnon, his first-born, but he didn't get over the loss of Absalom. He probably never said anything about it, being a guy, but Joab read him. He set up an elaborate scenario to convince David to bring back Absalom, which he did--but only sort of, refusing to even see him for two more years. He seemed intent on guarding his heart, or acting as if he wasn't tolerating murder.
And the situation got worse . . .

Don't Take it to Heart

2 Samuel 13:20
Her brother Absalom said to her, "Has that Amnon, your brother, been with you? Be quiet now, my sister; he is your brother. Don't take this thing to heart." And Tamar lived in her brother Absalom's house, a desolate woman.

Now things get really sad. It was bad enough what David did, taking another man's wife, and killing her husband. But then the ripples spread through his large family, with the innocent victimized.
When Amnon wanted Tamar, she was Absalom's beautiful sister. Now that the deed is done, they're all siblings. Two problematic brothers and one sister whose life has just been ruined.
This was Absalom's response, wrong in every way. First the all-in-the-family defense, then the stifling of her sorrow and anger. "Don't take this thing to heart." Easy to say for a man who hadn't just been raped. Just don't think about it. Nothing happened.
The bad thing was that Absalom himself took it to heart. Revenge became his goal, and then rebellion. A dreadful spiral spinning outward from a father who had done wrong.

Contemptuous Heart

2 Samuel 6:16
As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.

Michal was part of Abner's story in chapter 3. Saul had taken her away from David, so David demanded that Abner arrange her return, though she'd been married to another.
The opening lines of chapter 6 show that he didn't exactly need her; he had at least 6 wives already, bearing him sons. It seems like a power play, a simple demand for everything to be restored to him, not only all of Israel, but one woman who had once been his.
This is the story of the ark as well, that had languished at Kiriath Jearim for years because everyone was afraid to touch it. David, with his love for true worship, wanted the ark back in Jerusalem. His first attempt was badly-planned, and two men died before it was stranded once more at the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.
Now he's done his research, and somebody remembered that the ark has to be carried on its poles, never loaded on a cart. The carrying is done with huge celebration--sacrifices, shouting, trumpets. . .and dancing.
Maybe Michal was already mad at him. Hard to see how she could be happy when she's been a pawn for kings most of her adult life. But the dancing was the last straw. Deep inside, in her secret thoughts, she hated David, whom she'd once loved.
David had no need to apologize, and from the last line of the chapter, it looks as if their marriage was thereby over.
God, help me to never judge another's worship. Keep my heart free from hate.

Heart Desires

2 Samuel 3:21
Then Abner said to David, "Let me go at once and assemble all Israel for my lord the king, so that they may make a compact with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires." So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

David is king, but the politics continue, in fact, they've accelerated. Abner had been with Saul, but he got his feelings hurt when one of the sons accused him of having an affair with one of Saul's concubines. He came straight to David and offered his diplomatic services. He offered Israel, as if it was his to give.
Here the heart is David's, and the topic is the desire of that heart to rule Israel. I wonder about that. Was power over Israel truly the desire of David's heart? From what I know about David, he would have trusted more in God than in Abner to deliver Israel to him. He had never asked for the kingship and had given up all semblance of a normal life as Saul desperately fought him for it.
Abner having come to him, he may have simply accepted him with the grace he could now afford, sending him away "in peace."
The ruthless general Joab had no such grace. Abner soon paid for his approach to David with his life, and the king had to put on a show of mourning rather than let the vengeance of Joab stand in his name.
God, let me not presume more than I know. Help me to trust you only, for my business and everyone else's.

Heart of Terror

1 Samuel 28:5
When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart.

A few chapters later, Saul's hours are numbered. God had ceased speaking to him. No wonder his innermost thoughts were pure terror. Unhinged by his fear, he sought out one of the mediums he himself had banished.
He asked for Samuel, recently deceased. The Calvary Chapel take is, since the Bible says it was Samuel, it was. But Saul got no comfort from his former mentor/admirer. Rather, Samuel justified his heart-felt terror by predicting his death--the very next day. He had not obeyed God. He had failed to carry out God's judgement on the Amalekites, and now God's judgement lay heavy on him.
Reason enough to have a heart full of fear.

Heart Failure

1 Samuel 25:37
Then in the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him all these things, and his heart failed him and he became like a stone.

We go ahead a few chapters here, and for once, heart means a hollow, muscular organ in the thorax which maintains the circulation of the blood through the blood vessels.
David is still living with his men out in the desert, and he had the unfortunate
run-in with Nabal, whose very name means fool. David lost his temper then set out to avenge himself for the slight.
Of course, beautiful and wise Abigail saved both men, though Nabal didn't know it until next day. And there is an emotional component here. The shock of hearing how close he had come to death actually killed him.
And the next marriage was David and Abigail.

Words to Heart

1 Samuel 21:12
David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath.

Becoming king was never easy for David. For years he had to contend with Saul, who was still on the throne and determined to kill him. In this chapter, he is on the run. A stopover in Nob doomed Ahimelech, the priest who helped him. His next stop was Gath, where Achish was king.
Apparently he was panicked when the servants recognized him, and this led to the embarrassing episode when he acted insane. It can be a risky thing, taking words to heart. If they are casual comments, passing remarks, idle words, or anything that isn't from God, taking them into my innermost thoughts may cause all sorts of unfortunate reactions.
God, give me wisdom as to what I take to heart. Let your wisdom and your discernment fill my heart so I don't drive myself crazy over what I hear.

No One Lose Heart

1 Samuel 17:32
David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him."

This comes only a few verses after the last heart. After gathering all the information he could on the Goliath dilemma, David had an answer, and he himself was it.
He uses heart to mean courage, spirit, energy. With a supernatural maturity, a fatherly concern, he perceives that courage, spirit and energy are draining from the Israelite army as the standoff continues. They've talked themselves into terror in the intimidating presence of the big Philistine.
Maybe his shepherd training taught him this. He was used to being the brains, courage, and heart for a bunch of fearful, stupid sheep, and his instincts told him the Israeli army was about to stampede off a cliff.
Yet he didn't trust in himself to reverse the trend. He trusted in God alone, and it was on God's behalf that he went out to meet Goliath.
Just as Saul failed his first test, David passed his first one.

Slandered Heart

1 Samuel 17:28
When Eliab, David's oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, "Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle."

Young David is on the scene of the standoff with the Philistines. Goliath's offer to go one-on-one has not been answered, and everyone is anxious. Maybe that's why Eliab snaps at David. The siege is wearing on him. He couldn't suspect, could he, that God and Samuel passed him over for the little brother forgotten out in the pasture?
David's official reason for visiting the camp was to bring food to his brothers and take back news to his father. But Eliab questions his motives, accuses him of shirking his real job, and viciously attacks his character. David is conceited, he claims, and furthermore, his innermost core is wicked! On top of it all, he only came to watch the battle!
What teenaged boy wouldn't want to come watch the battle? Why was he so furious? He must have felt frustrated, fearful, and uncertain himself, and like big brothers everywhere, he saw his little brother as a safe target.
But David's heart had been seen by God, and it was God who sent him on this special assignment. He wasn't deterred by Eliab's fury. Maybe he was used to it. He soon showed the real character of his heart and made his first mark on the pages of HIStory.

Look at the Heart

1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

This verse holds one of the great sayings of the Bible: Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. It is not only a saying, but one of the bedrock principals as well. What if God looked at the outward appearance, the way we do? What if He judged on beauty, cleanliness, fashion sense, even age and race, as we do?
Samuel saw Jesse's oldest son and assumed he was the one. God corrected him:
The LORD does not look at the things man looks at.
How wonderful that is, and how scary. At my last look in the mirror, I decided I could start on the skin creams again to counter the drying effects of the swimming pool. God looks at me and sees. . .what? A heart still inclined to anger over my job, a turmoil of emotion over Christian, a glaring lack of concern for most of the people in my world. . .
He says cream won't do any good, even the stuff that costs $65. Nothing will work but the priceless blood to beautify this heart.

Heart and Soul

1 Samuel 14:7
"Do all that you have in mind," his armor-bearer said. "Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul."

The action moves to Jonathan, son of Saul, who decides to take the initiative against the Philistines, just he and his armor-bearer. He justifies it casually: "Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving. . ."
I like that. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. If He doesn't, He doesn't. If He does, I want to be there.
The unnamed armor-bearer has a huge part in this, immediately giving his vote of confidence and pledging his support. "I am with you heart and soul."
God did act, and these two were rewarded with the victory while Saul sat around back at the base camp.

God's Own Heart

1 Samuel 13:14
But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command."

Here is where it fell apart for Saul, only one chapter after Samuel introduced him as king. It seems sad, yet it is inevitable. It's a matter of the heart. Saul must have possessed some kingly attributes, but his heart was wrong, and that's not something that can be concealed for long, if at all.
His downfall came on a matter of simple obedience. Samuel, whom he should have seen as mentor and spiritual advisor, gave him a test. The right answer was given: wait seven days for Samuel to come make the sacrifice.
Like Peter, Saul was sifted. He was presented with temptation almost too great to bear. He was surrounded by too many Philistines to count, and his army had deserted, hiding in the hills or outright running away. Those he had left were visibly scared. Samuel stretched his seven days to the last minute.
And Saul gave in, making the sacrifice he was not authorized to make.
He hadn't the heart.
The verse mentions God's heart. This is the first time David, not yet named, is called by this description. I just read of one of the kings three or four down the line, who is compared to David. David, it said, failed God in only one thing, the matter of Uriah the Hittite. Interesting that it always comes up that way, without mention of the woman.
I think it has so much to do with worship and purity of heart. David is never caught looking to other gods. He always turns to Yahweh, always wants to know his own God's heart.
Poor Saul was tossed by fear and pride.
He lost all in the sifting.

Serving Heart

1 Samuel 12:24
But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.

This is just a couple of verses after yesterday's heart, and it is in the same speech. Though Israel made a bad decision in demanding a king, it wasn't a fatal decision, and the fundamentals of life remained the same:
Do not turn to useless idols.
God is faithful for the sake of His own character.
The concepts of right and good remain and are teachable.
Fear the Lord.
Serve Him faithfully. . .with all your heart.
One way to look at this is putting politics in its place. I pay too much attention to what is going on--useless idols. And too little to serving faithfully with all my heart.

Serve the Lord

1 Samuel 12:20
"Do not be afraid," Samuel replied. "You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.

Samuel was presenting Saul to Israel as their new king. However, he had to impress upon them that they had rejected God in asking for a king. He gave a few highlights of history, emphasizing the challenges from foreign enemies, challenges that had all been met by God, through the warrior-judges, of which Samuel was the last. He describes himself as their leader since he was young.
Yet he did not consider himself a king. God was King.
They asked for a king in response to another military threat, though God had saved them in the past without using a human king.
Samuel did not see their request as a good thing, though God chose to grant it; yet his talk climaxed in a call for renewed obedience to God. He punctuated the sermon with a thunderstorm out of a blue sky.
The people, stunned at the display, admitted to their sin and begged for Samuel's prayers.
His answer began with this verse. It is such a good one. At all times my past and present sin discourages me and takes my attention from God to myself. But the answer is the same: Turn to God. Serve Him with all my innermost thoughts.