17 After David was settled in his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent.”
2 Nathan replied to David, “Whatever you have in mind, do it, FOR GOD IS WITH YOU.” 1 Chronicles 17
David’s motives were sincere, he was thinking about God’s reputation above his own comforts. (Derek Prince said that two of the greatest idols in American/Western Church were ‘comfort and convenience’. He also said that the Lord God hated carnality, living to please our flesh without thought for eternity.) David wanted to honour his Lord and initially Nathan the prophet told him to do whatever was in his heart for GOD WAS WITH HIM. Sometimes that’s the only confirmation we’ll get, ‘Go ahead, I’m with you’! But on this occasion God spoke to the King’s prophet and told David he wasn’t the one to build Him a Temple, but his son, the NEXT GENERATION, would build it. Each generation has its own unique Calling from the Lord as part of His Kingdom plan. Each of us must be faithful to complete the work in our own day!
“‘I declare to you that the Lord will build a house for you: 11 When your days are over and you go to be with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever.
David’s heart was to build God’s House, so God in turn told him that He would build David’s house and it would last forever. Truly, that which we sow we surely reap.
23 “And now, Lord, let the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house be established forever. Do as you promised, 24 so that it will be established and that your name will be great forever. Then people will say, ‘The Lord Almighty, the God over Israel, is Israel’s God!’ And the house of your servant David will be established before you. 1 Chronicles 17
David received Nathan’s Word from the Lord and asked the Lord to fulfil it for him and his offspring, so that people would say, ‘The Lord Almighty is Israel’s God’. Once again his heart was to honour the Lord.
David received God’s promise late in his life after he’d come through many trials and God had, ‘cut off’ Israel’s enemies through him. Paul tells the Corinthians something similar right at the beginning of his letter which is an encouragement for the Believers today.
8 HE WILL ALSO KEEP YOU STRONG TO THE END (Hallelujah, thank you Lord), so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 GOD IS FAITHFUL, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1
It is the Lord who CALLS US AND KEEPS US, He is faithful.
Wishing everyone a blessed and peaceful weekend.