After God's Own Heart - Offer Righteous Sacrifices-Psalm 4:5

In I Samuel 9-15 is the record of the rise and fall of Israel's first king, Saul.  Israel had demanded a king to rule them. God was not all too excited about the idea, but knowing where their heads and hearts were at, he had Samuel anoint Saul. Samuel reminded the people about what it was like when God was recognized as the king in chapter 12. He reminded them of all God had done to take care of them in the face of enemies and he pointed out the fallacy of appointed a king instead of having God as their ruler:

And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the Lord your God was your king. 13 Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! and, behold, the Lord hath set a king over you. 14 If ye will fear (reverence) the Lord, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the Lord your God:. I Samuel 12:12-14

In chapter 13, the heart of Saul was exposed when he did not wait for Samuel to come to make offerings to God as Samuel had instructed him(I Samuel 10:8). Instead he made the offerings himself. His foolishness in doing this was not about him making the offerings instead of Samuel. Instead of trusting God in the escalation of pressure that was surrounding him, he decided to handle his anxiety through his own urgency instead of trusting God.

12 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. 13 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. 14 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. I Samuel 13:12-14

The word 'forced' is indicative of his mindset that Saul had. God was looking for a man after his own heart. David has been called a man after God's own heart. Throughout the 70 Psalms that David wrote, there are wonderful examples of that kind of heart such as in Psalm 4:4-5.

4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. 5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.

Sometimes it is hard for us to stand still in the righteousness that God has given us, but that is where trust takes abode.  It is in righteousness we can effectually serve our God, not in dead, ineffectual  religious zealous works which we feel forced to do to be right.  Rightness is given by grace, it is ours for the trusting.

Perhaps one of the greatest lessons in life that we can learn is not to push too hard and learn to enter into the rest that God has provided us.