Doing what is right in the sight of the Lord

1 Kings 14:5–11 (NKJV)

5 Now the Lord had said to Ahijah, “Here is the wife of Jeroboam, coming to ask you something about her son, for he is sick. Thus and thus you shall say to her; for it will be, when she comes in, that she will pretend to be another woman.”

6 And so it was, when Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps as she came through the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why do you pretend to be another person? For I have been sent to you with bad news.

7 Go, tell Jeroboam, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: “Because I exalted you from among the people, and made you ruler over My people Israel,

8 and tore the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it to you; and yet you have not been as My servant David, who kept My commandments and who followed Me with all his heart, to do only what was right in My eyes;

9 but you have done more evil than all who were before you, for you have gone and made for yourself other gods and molded images to provoke Me to anger, and have cast Me behind your back—

10 therefore behold! I will bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every male in Israel, bond and free; I will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as one takes away refuse until it is all gone.

11 The dogs shall eat whoever belongs to Jeroboam and dies in the city, and the birds of the air shall eat whoever dies in the field; for the Lord has spoken!” ’

Do a backgcround summary on Jeroboam

David’s life had become the blueprint by which all other kings were judged. His life was the standard by which all the others kings life were measured.

His life became the standard because he had followed God with all his heart to do what was right in the eyes of the Lord.

Following God with all one’s heart is to do only what is right in the eyes of the Lord.

Jereoboam was Called and was anointed but was not a follower.

David was called and was anointed and was follower becuase he sought to do only what was right in the eyes of the Lord. This desire, did not change when he became King

1 Samuel 15:10-11 “10 Now the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, 11 “I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.” And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the Lord all night.”

Jereboam destiny became one of destruction both to himself and to his seed.

But to David, God blessed him and his seed.

How Can we be like David, following the Lord with all our heart to do what is right in his sight?

What is it about David’s Heart that made him to always do what was right in the sigt of the Lord?

He had a loyal heart

1 Kings 15:1–5 (NKJV)

1 In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah.

2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maachah the granddaughter of Abishalom.

3 And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him; his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David.

4 Nevertheless for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, by setting up his son after him and by establishing Jerusalem;

5 because David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.

Because David’s heart was loyal he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.

When one does not have a loyal heart, one would do what pleases the Lord when it is convenient or suits the person.

However when you have a loyal heart, in every circumstance and every situation you will do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.

David Prayed for his son that God may give him a loyal heart

1 Chron 29:18-19 “18 O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the intent of the thoughts of the heart of Your people, and fix their heart toward You. 19 And give my son Solomon a loyal heart to keep Your commandments and Your testimonies and Your statutes, to do all these things, and to build the temple for which I have made provision.””

God seeks those who have loyal heart and will reward them

2 Chronicles 16:9 (NKJV)

9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.”

You just be loyal to the Lord your God and god will show himself strong in your behalf.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abdenego loyality paid of

Josephs loyality paid of.

David loayl heart paid of.

Hezekiahs loyality paid off.

2 Kings 20:3 “3 “Remember now, O Lord, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.”

2. His heart Delighted in the ways of God.

Psalm 40:7–11 (NKJV)

7 Then I said, “Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me.

8 I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.”

9 I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness In the great assembly; Indeed, I do not restrain my lips, O Lord, You Yourself know.

10 I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth From the great assembly.

11 Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O Lord; Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.

God’s will to David was his delight. It was not a burden, it was not nuisance.

Psalms 119:174 “174 I long for Your salvation, O Lord, And Your law is my delight.”

What is our Delight?

Jehosophat Following his father’s (David)example

2 Chronicles 17:2–6 (NKJV)

2 And he placed troops in all the fortified cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim which Asa his father had taken.

3 Now the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the former ways of his father David; he did not seek the Baals,

4 but sought the God of his father, and walked in His commandments and not according to the acts of Israel.

5 Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah gave presents to Jehoshaphat, and he had riches and honor in abundance.

6 And his heart took delight in the ways of the Lord; moreover he removed the high places and wooden images from Judah.

One of the quality of Jehosophats heart following the footseps of David was that he took delight in the ways of the Lord.

3. His heart had faith in God

Psalm 27:13–14 NKJV

13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. 14 Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!

David did not lose heart in Keeping God’s way and doing consistently what is right in his eye in spite of the constant changing of the circumstance and situation he was in because he believed God, He beleived his Promise, he beleived his Word.

2 Corinthians 5:7–9 (NKJV)

7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.

We Make it our aim to please the Lord because we walk by faith and not by sight.

We believe his promise

We believe his Word.

1 Corinthians 10:5 NKJV

5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

The people of Israel Displeased God, did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord because they lacked faith.

Conclusion

Pay God to give you a loyal Heart.

A heart that Delights In god’s ways and delights to do God’s will

A heart that believed what God Speaks and promises.