What is greatest compliment you have ever received? You’re a wonderful mom, or you are a good father, an excellent student, excel in athletics, successful at work, a loving and kind person, a true follower of Christ?

I believe the greatest compliment ever given is: “I have found David, son of Jesse a man after my own heart” (Acts 13:22). God the Father declares a shepherd boy to have a heart similar to His, a heart that filled the Father with joy and pride. In essence it was like a proud father saying, “that’s my boy!”

Why would God give such a compliment to David? If this boy David, who later became King of Israel, had been living today I would be visiting him in prison, as he would be serving a life sentence for murder and deception. And there are a whole lot of others things on his rap sheet that seem to disqualify him from such an honor.

This June I have the privilege of taking a group of teenagers from Parker Lutheran and Regis high schools to Lesotho Africa. As part of their preparation I’m challenging them to memorize a verse from a song David wrote:

“ONE THING I ask of the LORD this is what I seek that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple,” (Psalm 27:4)

Why this verse? Because this is why David was called “a man after God’s own heart.” Yes, David sinned and messed up royally at times, yet he would continue to return to his greatest passion “1 THING” which was seeking the presence of the Lord with all his heart. God’s greatest desire for His children is a relationship with Him. More than going on mission trip, more than doing good works and even more than being a King of a country…..He wants our hearts to be all about “1 THING!”

Anything we do for His Kingdom must be birthed out of living a life of “1 Thing,” having hearts that go hard after His glorious presence. In a world saturated by scores of distraction the Spirit is crying out for a new David generation that will be about “1 Thing.”

So I thought I would put out the same challenge to you as I have given to the team going to Africa, put Psalm 27:4 to memory and ask the Holy Spirit to stir in your heart to become a person of 1 Thing! There is no greater compliment than to hear that you are man or woman “after God’s own heart!” To hear your Abba Father say, “That’s my boy, that’s my girl! They love me with all their heart, and live for 1 Thing!”

The Father was so honored by David’s “1 Thing” heart that he would birth His only Son Jesus from the seed of David, the True King who would open up Heaven’s door for us to live in the glorious presence of God as His sons and daughters now and forever. What would the Father birth out of our lives if we returned to being a people of 1 Thing?

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Jeremiah 29:13