A PROFITABLE PURSUIT Ps 27:1 A man after God’s own heart must have God as his... I. Intellect “my light” II. Idol “my salvation” III. Interruption “the strength of my life”

1. A PROFITABLE PURSUIT
Intro:
Acts 13:22 ...I have found David the son of Jesse,
a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all
my will.
Acts 7:46 Who found favour before God, and
desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.
Heb 11:39 And these all, having obtained a good
report through faith, received not the promise:
The thing Desired was not obtained (in their lifetime).
The proper pursuit of a Godly desire is God’s interest;
not the demonstration of man’s ability.
The Proper Desire had the effect of the saint
obtaining a good Report.

2. Heaven records these words on David’s report card: A
man after God’s own heart.
A PROFITABLE PURSUIT
Ps 27:1
Ps 27
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom
shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of
whom shall I be afraid?
A man after God’s own heart must have God as his...
I. Intellect “my light”
The LORD is my light
The LORD’S Light needed for man’s every day plight:

3. Ps 119:99 I have more understanding than all my
teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.
2Cor 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath
blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest
the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the
image of God, should shine unto them.
2Cor 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to
shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to
give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ.
Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being
enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of
his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his
inheritance in the saints,
God the only source of Light:
Jas 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is
from above, and cometh down from the Father of
lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow
of turning.

4. Christ is the Light of Wisdom:
Luke 2:32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the
glory of thy people Israel.
John 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of
men.
John 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth
every man that cometh into the world.
John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them,
saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth
me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the
light of life.
John 12:46 I am come a light into the world, that
whosoever believeth on me should not abide in
darkness.
Saints should reflect the Light of the Leader:

5. 2Sam 21:17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah
succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed
him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying,
Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that
thou quench not the light of Israel.
A man after God’s own heart must have God as his...
 Intellect
II. Idol “my salvation” (in the sense of a
Hero)
Ps 27
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom
shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of
whom shall I be afraid?
There are too many Christians “near” God but not
“Nigh” God
Jas 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to
you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your
hearts, ye double minded.

6. Nigh: close in proximity to time, or space, or
relationship (as is near); however the emphasis of
nigh goes beyond near and stresses nothing
between.
“And they could not come nigh unto him for the
press, they uncovered the roof…”(Mark 2:4).
They were already near, but they were not nigh,
there was a multitude between.
Boaz was exactly right when he told Ruth he was
her near kinsman (not nigh), because there was
one closer, nearer. Boaz settles that by having that
man step aside so he and Ruth could draw nigh.
1Sam 17:48 And it came to pass, when the
Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to
meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward
the army to meet the Philistine.
When the Philistine giant drew nigh unto David,
there was nothing between them. A stone could
make a direct hit.

7. Matt 21:1 And when they drew nigh unto
Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto
the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two
disciples,
There are no other towns between them and
Jerusalem. Bethphage stretched from the Mount of
Olives to the city boundary. According to Acts 1:12,
it’s a mere sabbath day’s journey. In this case, as in
all 98 Bible verses that contain nigh, this word paints
a more accurate picture than near. Don’t look up
nigh in the dictionaries they only can imagine it is
“Archaic: See NEAR.”; the Bible does better than
that!
A man after God’s own heart must have God as his...
 Intellect
 Idol
III. Interruption “the strength of my life”
Ps 27

8. 1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall
I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of
whom shall I be afraid?
At the time of the event, “the fog of war” often makes
it impossible to recognize all the implications of any
one action. Hindsight reveals the endpoint and all
the developments that led up to it.
In most cases, contemporary observers may lack
confidence in predicting a turning point. In the Civil
War, many of the turning points cited by historians
would not have been recognized as such at the time.
From man’s point of view the “setbacks” in
David’s life are discouragements; from
God’s point of view they are Direction.
David anointed King; but no crown
 ...the LORD is the strengthof my life
David gains victory over Goliath; but becomes king
Saul’s enemy

9.  the LORD is the strength of my life
David is givenhis enemy Saul on a silver platter; but
restrainedfrom slaying him
 the LORD is the strength of my life
David gains the crown after Saul’s death; but only over
Judah
 ...the LORD is the strengthof my life
David is giventhe ark of the covenant; but unable to
move it
 ...the LORD is the strengthof my life
David’s son Absalom comes home; but steals the
kingdom
 ...the LORD is the strengthof my life
David is instructed Solomonwill reign; but Adonijah
plots to gain the throne
 ...the LORD is the strengthof my life
Acts 16

10. 6 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and
the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the
Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,
7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to
go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.
Ps 21
1 The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in
thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!
2 Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast
not withholden the request of his lips. Selah.
3 For thou preventesthim with the blessings of
goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his
head.
To be a man after God’s own heart you
must have God as the focus of your
intellect, the idol of your affection, and
view His interruptions as a blessing of
goodness.

11. A PROFITABLE PURSUIT
Ps 27:1
A man after God’s own heart musthave God as his...
I. Intellect “my light”
II. Idol “my salvation”
III. Interruption “the strength of my life”