David, a man after God’s own heart.

I have always loved this statement and thought I wanted to be like this. One who is after God’s own heart. But what does this mean? 

1 Samuel 13:11-14 

And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.

In the above account, we see here Samuel is saying that Saul disobeyed the commands of the Lord. And because of this disobedience, Samuel tells Saul that God will seek another man to be King. He says that God will reject Saul. He says that God will seek a man after his own heart. 

From this reference, Samuel is saying here a man after God’s own heart is the opposite of what Saul did. It’s not just that this man would love God but that he would be obedient to God. He would listen to God, and he would do as he asked. 

Saul was not a man after God’s heart because he did what he thought was right in his own heart, but God looked for one who would do what was right according to God. A man who would do it God’s way and not his way. An obedient man.