When there was anything standing between him and God, he had no reason to be happy. David Nooitgedagt saw overcoming sinful thoughts and lusts as a matter of life or death.
David was born in Amsterdam in 1972. He was an ordinary boy.
He has good childhood memories and grew up in a secure home. His parents were good examples of true Christianity, and there was no doubt about the joy and freedom that resulted from genuine Christianity.
“My father’s enthusiasm for God’s Word infected me,” says David, who at a young age decided that he also wanted to serve God. He was quite young when he started reading in the Bible and talking to God as a friend.
“I remember feeling so safe and happy when I was with pure people. They had a joy that was genuine.
When he was little, David often pretended he was a knight. The battle scenes that played out in the forest near his home could go on for hours; his siblings and neighbors would join the game.
When he was 14, he started fighting a new “war.” This battle was for David’s heart and thought life.
“I remember feeling so safe and happy when I was with people who lived pure lives. They had a power in their spirits because they had victory and power over impure thoughts. They exuded a joy that was genuine,” says David. He felt as though his own heart was constricted and small as a young boy, with little room for good thoughts such as love, care, and purity.
At the youth meetings in the church he heard about staying far away from youthful lusts and impure thoughts. David understood that a pure heart had to be the foundation for living as a servant of God and hearing His voice.
“God worked with me. It was as though a spotlight shone in my life and showed me things that were not as they should be,” he says.
David saw this as a declaration of war in his heart. He was no longer willing to let anything separate him from God. Everything needed to be made right.
I did what I could to get a clear conscience, says David, who had to pray for forgiveness for what he had done wrong, and put things in order.
A clear conscience was not enough. Even though God had forgiven him, David found that he did not have control over his thoughts; they were constantly weighing him down. He had no rest from the sinful thoughts and lusts.
“I was beleaguered by the typical thoughts that normally occur in young boys; thoughts about me, my future, how I looked. I wanted to be the best. Everything was about me,” says David, who found that these thoughts made his heart constricted and heavy.
“I felt sinful and bad; I thought that if there was anything that came between me and God, there was no reason to be happy .
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God,” David read in Matthew 5:8.
David could often see that others were happy. He always felt like an outsider.
“I felt sinful and bad; I thought that if there was anything that came between me and God, there was no reason to be happy .
Thoughts about his ego became David’s worst enemies. He felt he could relate to David in the Bible. He read in Psalm 18,
“He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.” (verse 19)
David had an inner assurance that God saw his heart. He wanted to serve God with his whole heart so that God would be able to raise him up and set his feet upon a rock, just like He did for David several thousand years ago. (Psalm 40)
“I knew it would take time. It takes more than one day to overcome all your enemies. But I have experienced that God has taught me to battle against sin within,” says David.
By God’s help David gained power over his thoughts. His desire to have a girlfriend, to be popular, and to have a successful future were overcome; instead those thoughts were replaced with good thoughts. It became easier to hear God’s voice.
“I have experienced that purity gives joy, and joy gives power to serve the others. There are fewer and fewer enemies; and peace, joy, and happiness are increasing,” explains David.
Now he is 38 years old. He cannot hide his huge smile when he displays his family picture and introduces his nine children. His wife has been the only girl in David’s life.
“I can think back and know that I have never had a relationship that I would need to be ashamed about between me and any other girl,” says David, who knows that when parents have purity and love in their lives, it gives security to their children.
“Our children never need to worry about whether we will get divorced. All children ought to be able to have that assurance,” says David thankfully.
Our children never need to worry about whether we will get divorced. All children ought to be able to have that assurance.
As a wholehearted Christian, he can look back on a pure youth time. I have been kept from sins that many people fall deeply in. Often he has to pinch himself in the arm.
“I often tell my wife that I cannot comprehend why God has made me so happy,” says David.