TUESDAY, APRIL 12
READ 2 SAMUEL 7:1-11, 16
2 SAMUEL 7:1 After the king had been living in his palace awhile and Adonai had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, 2 the king said to Natan the prophet, “Here, I’m living in a cedar-wood palace; but the ark of God is kept in a tent!” 3 Natan said to the king, “Go, do everything that is in your heart, for Adonai is with you.”
4 But that same night the word of Adonai came to Natan: 5 “Go and tell my servant David that this is what Adonai says: ‘You are going to build me a house to live in? 6 Since the day I brought the people of Isra’el out of Egypt until today, I never lived in a house; rather, I traveled in a tent and a tabernacle. 7 Everywhere I traveled with all the people of Isra’el, did I ever speak a word to any of the tribes of Isra’el, whom I ordered to shepherd my people Isra’el, asking, “Why haven’t you built me a cedar-wood house?”’
8 “Therefore say this to my servant David that this is what Adonai-Tzva’ot says: ‘I took you from the sheep-yards, from following the sheep, to make you chief over my people, over Isra’el. 9 I have been with you wherever you went; I have destroyed all your enemies ahead of you; and I am making your reputation great, like the reputations of the greatest people on earth. 10 I will assign a place to my people Isra’el; I will plant them there, so that they can live in their own place without being disturbed any more. The wicked will no longer oppress them, as they did at the beginning, 11 and as they did from the time I ordered judges to be over my people Isra’el; instead, I will give you rest from all your enemies.
16 Thus your house and your kingdom will be made secure forever before you; your throne will be set up forever.’
Even when we have well-intended purposes for God’s work, it is good to keep in mind that God’s will must always prevail. Faithfulness does not simply mean offering our best for God but, rather, listening to discern what God may wish us to do.-------
King David sincerely desires to do something great for God. Inspired by his own sense of pleasure, David notes that he himself lives in a house of cedar. If this pleases him, surely an even greater house for the ark will please God. This makes sense, doesn’t it? But God desired to build a spiritual lineage (or “house”) for David. From this heritage God would choose both the time and descendant who would build a temple. More importantly, from the spiritual lineage would come the messiah.
How often in our lives do we assume what will please God based upon our human experiences of pleasure rather than the knowledge we gain from our spiritual life? We gain spiritual knowledge through intentional openness to God, through listening for and sensing the presence of God. Spiritual knowledge comes with the openness and expectation that God does have a will and a purpose, a purpose that we can know through prayerful living.
However, the word of God comes to David through the prophet Nathan, and David is able to hear. Persons of faith live to please God through their being and their actions, knowing that God delights in our prayerful listening.
Grant, O God, that the rhythm of each day may include time to be present with you, to know you more clearly, and to love you more dearly. Amen.[Nathan D. Baxter]
Our mailing address is:
Upper Room Strategic Initiatives
PO Box 340007
Nashville, Tennessee 37203, United States
---------------------
---------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment