Being a man after God's own heart

I just finished reading the book of 1-2 Samuel, where the centrefold character is King David. I often wondered - David is described as a man after God's own heart. So what did he do that was deserving of such high accolade? David had his share of faults too - adultery; masterminding the death of Uriah; unjustified treatment to Mephibosheth who met him when he returned to Jerusalem; non-forgiveness on Shimei who cursed him...

Yet as I reflected upon his life in the two books, some points came across:

1. Faith
David went up against Goliath in his youth. Was it mere ignorance? Doesn't seem like it. He knew that even seasoned soldiers feared Goliath. Yet it was pure faith that gave him the confidence to say "You come to me with a sword, with a spear, with a javalin.. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel whom you have defied." (1 Sam 17:45) Wow... if only I have the same faith say that to the problems in my life and thereby overcome them too!

2. Recognition of God's presence in his life
In many psalms that David wrote during difficult times e.g. hiding from Saul's pursuit for his life, David started crying out to God in anguish for deliverance, for help... but yet he often ends in praise of God. Such is his recognition that God is able and mighty to save, that he has a big God in spite of his problems!

3. Seek God first
Before he went up against the enemy, many times David enquired of the Lord first (2 Sam 2:1; 5:17, etc). This reflected his moment by moment living in obedience to God's will and awareness of His presence, that he does not want to do things out of his own will or desires.

4. Wholehearted worship
In bringing back the ark of the covenant into the city, "David danced before the Lord with all his might" (2 Sam 6:14). Imagine the king looking like that, so undignified. How will his subjects think? Even his wife Michal dispised him as she saw him doing that! Yet David's response was single minded - it was done before the Lord. He is fully prepared to be even more undignified than this.

When he was punished by God for growing prideful and doing a census on the Israel army, he made a defining statement in his repentence - "nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing." (2 Sam 24:24). Such was his heart of worship.

Yes, David had his failings. But it was his heart's attitude that set him apart, his coming back to God always. This to me, is sufficient revelation. May it be that I too would grow in maturity to be a man after God's own heart.