HEEDING GOD'S COUNSEL
Saturday, 30th July 2016
1 Chronicles 28:1-21 (NKJV)
Now David assembled at Jerusalem all the leaders of Israel: the officers of the tribes and the captains of the divisions who served the king, the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and possessions of the king and of his sons, with the officials, the valiant men, and all the mighty men of valor.
2 Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Hear me, my brethren and my people: I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God, and had made preparations to build it.
3 But God said to me, ‘You shall not build a house for My name, because you have been a man of war and have shed blood.’
4 However the Lord God of Israel chose me above all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever, for He has chosen Judah to be the ruler. And of the house of Judah, the house of my father, and among the sons of my father, He was pleased with me to make me king over all Israel.
5 And of all my sons (for the Lord has given me many sons) He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.
6 Now He said to me, ‘It is your son Solomon who shall build My house and My courts; for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his Father.
7 Moreover I will establish his kingdom forever, if he is steadfast to observe My commandments and My judgments, as it is this day.’
8 Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, be careful to seek out all the commandments of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land, and leave it as an inheritance for your children after you forever.
9 “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.
10 Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong, and do it.”
David’s account of his experience in today’s passage confirms what Prov.19:21says: “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails”. He had proposed to build the Lord’s house and he started to make the necessary preparations to actualize the plans, but the Lord had a different agenda. God made it clear that He did not want him to build the temple because he had been a man of war and had shed much blood. Therefore, Solomon his son would carry out the project.
It is very important for us to note that having been rejected for the job, David humbly accepted God’s decision and spent the rest of his time making preparations for the project. He not only invested his wealth, but encouraged others to follow his example so that Solomon would complete the project successfully. He also explained the detailed plans to his son Solomon, to ensure that he understood what he was supposed to do. He was not bothered as some of us would have been that he had laboured and another person was going to take “the glory”. He did not set out to make the execution difficult for “his successor”. This indeed is the Spirit of the Lord. Beloved, we must be ready to abort our plans whenever and wherever the Lord intercepts, and cooperate fully with His agenda, in order to bring Him glory.
Prayer: Dear Father, help me to always accept Your will, no matter the plans I have made.