King David was the greatest king that the nation of Israel ever had. The scripture tells us that the reason for this was because he was a man after God’s Own Heart. But how does one become a man after God’s Own Heart? We see that God used every experience in David’s life to build His character so that He would be the man that God intended. Whether good or bad, God worked in the midst of every situation so that David would be ready for the plans that God had for his life.
God grew David’s faith and skill when David was forced to protect his sheep by killing a bear and a lion. God grew his compassion when he played music to calm the heart of King Saul. He grew his commitment to God’s glory when he fought Goliath who was trying to publicly defame the God of Israel. God grew David’s patience, mercy, and forgiveness when David was being unfairly hunted by a jealous king. God used many different situations to prepare him for what God had planned for his life.
We see this principle throughout scripture. Joseph, Moses, Samuel, Paul, Ruth, all were shaped by their past and their present as God prepared them for their futures.
The same principle applies to you and me. God is always working in our lives. But do we even see it? Romans 8:28 tells us that “God works all things for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” John 5:17 tells us that “My Father is always at work.”
What is life bringing your way right now? Is it in the area of relationships, finances, stress, loneliness, direction, or other challenges that are just a part of life. Receive it and don’t waste one single opportunity to allow God to make you like Christ. It is very likely that He is preparing your character to match your assignment.
Life will bring good and bad to us all. Will we take the time to stop and see what He wants to work in our lives? If we will join Him where He is working we will always become more like Christ, and God will never waste an opportunity to make us into a person after God’s Own Heart.
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD : "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message." So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of the LORD came to me: "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel."
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