Just before this verse, the prophet Nathan had given David the Lord’s message that it wouldn’t be him but one of his sons that would build the Temple. This all started earlier in the Chapter when King David had said to Nathan, “Here I am in a palace made of cedar, while the Ark of the Covenant is still under a tent.” So here sat David before the Lord…all his wonderful plans for a magnificent Temple dedicated to his Lord dashed. Have you ever been there? You think you know the direction God is sending you only to have Him change things completely? How did you react? But if you continue to read David’s prayer you’ll see that he wasn’t hurt but honoring God’s ultimate authority…he wasn’t resentful but resting in God’s Will for his life…he wasn’t discouraged but still very much dedicated…he wasn’t offended but instead offering up praise to his Heavenly Father…and finally, he wasn’t bitter but confident that something much better would come from it.
Author: kezha1
A Christian mother, grandmother, and retired nurse living in Illinois. Called into a ministry of encouraging others to find their ultimate plan and purpose in life through Christ.
I Timothy 1:15-16 ” Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on Him and receive eternal life.”
Paul’s message here was simple and sincere…I am a sinner saved by God’s grace and nothing else…and I readily accept the fact that without it I would be spiritually dead and separated from Him forever. It is through God’s kindness, tolerance, and patience that we are led towards repentance. (Romans 2:4) And because His mercy is showered on us, we are to show mercy to this present unredeemed world… that we may receive mercy in the life to come. (Matthew 5:7)
Jeremiah 7:9-10 ” Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, and then come and stand before Me in this house, which bears My Name, and say, ‘We are safe – safe to do all these detestable things?’ “
These verses are the true meaning of a “Sunday” Christian. They’re all pious and righteous sounding on Sunday, but live like the devil the rest of the week. They live a life completely contrary to God’s Laws, but think just because they darken the doors of a Church somehow all is forgiven. And like these verses, even go so far as to rationalize God’s got to be OK with it all. That wasn’t the truth back then, and it’s not the truth today. For anytime we do things that are considered destructive to family and society we can’t think God will somehow gloss over them.
Luke 10:2 ” He told them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into the harvest field.’ “
When you look at the people that you come in contact with everyday, do you only see family, friends, co-workers, or acquaintances…or do you see them as a field of lost souls? Here Jesus is telling His disciples to pray for themselves and others to catch the vision of the harvest field before them. In John 4:35, He goes farther when He tells them, “Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” It’s kind of like not being able to see the forest for the trees…the lost are all around, but we choose to indifferently turn a blind eye. But Jesus says, “Open your eyes and look!” In other words, soberly contemplate the eternal destiny of the lost souls around you…recognize you may be the only person willing to speak to them about Jesus…and finally, pray for a heart for the lost.
Exodus 4:10-12 ” Moses said to the Lord, ‘O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since You have spoken to Your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.’ The Lord said to him, ‘Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.’ “
The Lord lays something on our heart to do…maybe it’s to go and talk to a specific person about Him, but what’s the first thing we usually do? We argue why we can’t do it, raising up every negative, self-abasing, and degrading attribute we think we have. Moses tried it here. So did Jeremiah, but the Lord gave him the same answer as He did Moses, ” Go, I have put My words in your mouth.” (Jeremiah 1:9) But we can also listen in when Jesus was instructing His disciples in Luke 12:12, when He reassured them that, “The Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” Even more, Jesus told them when they were arrested not to be worried, “Say whatever is given you at the time, for it’s not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 13:11) So there’s no need to be afraid…for if the Lord sends you, He will give you the words at that specific time.
II John 6 ” And this is love: that we walk in obedience to His commands. As you have heard from the beginning, His command is that you walk in love.”
To walk in love is to walk in obedience, and to walk in obedience means we love one another with the unconditional love of Christ. Jesus made this very plain in John 14:15 when He said to His disciples, “If you love Me, you will obey what I command.” The command is very simple, we are to love one another. (John 13:34) And as we conform more and more each day…following Jesus and imitating Him…His love will be truly made complete in us. (I John 2:5)
Psalm 150:1-6 ” Praise the Lord. Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heavens. Praise Him for His acts of power; praise Him for His surpassing greatness. Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise Him with the harp and lyre, praise Him with tambourine and dancing, praise Him with the strings and flute, praise Him with the clash of cymbals, praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.”
This last chapter in the Book of Psalms pretty much sums up the who, what, where, when, and how of praising God. There’s really little left out for us to question. We are to glorify Him every time we look at His works under His vast dominion. (Psalm 103:22) We are to celebrate that His Throne will last forever and ever. (Psalm 45:6) Finally, we are to marvel in His awesome power as Moses did in Deuteronomy 3:24 when he exclaimed, “O Sovereign Lord, You have begun to show your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works You do?” Are you breathing right now? Good, you should be praising God!
Philemon 6 ” I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.”
The Word of God contains potency beyond anything we can imagine, and when unleashed, will accomplish its purpose and get results. So when we become comfortable sharing our faith with others the true goodness of His Word is released. But this Fellowship of Faith is truly profitable for both parties. First, it gives the Believer a chance to remember just how far they’ve come with Christ, it encourages their soul, and fills them with gratitude. And as for the person listening, they can be encouraged, challenged, inspired, comforted, emboldened, and convicted… all at the same time. So as this verse says, “I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith…”
Ezekiel 18:2 ” The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.”
This had been a often quoted Proverb of the Israelites…that the children would pay the consequences of their parent’s mistakes…passing them down from generation to generation. But in verses 3 and 4 God sets aside this old Proverb with a new one… no longer treating the Jewish Nation as a “unit”, but now judging each individual. This new Proverb was, “The soul who sins is the one who will die.” With this, each person became accountable and responsible for his own moral conduct…and in the end, would alone answer to God.
James 2:15-16 ” Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; Keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? “
Most people are willing to give to a Charity or worthy cause…but just don’t ask them to engage personally. That’s because for most of us, we don’t want to get involved. Now if we came upon a person described in these verses…stripped naked and starving, we’d all agree we’d do something immediately…but why does it take an extreme situation to force us into getting involved? I John 3:17 asks the probing question of us, “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” Or to take it a step farther, in Matthew 25:35-40, Jesus tells the faithful that whatever they did for the least of their brothers they were in actuality doing for Him. Yes, seeing a need and filling it may involve us getting out of our comfort zone and interacting with someone very unlike us…it may take our time, talents, and money as we not only share ourselves with that person, but step into the mess around them…but as the Scripture in Matthew starkly reveals, we need to view it as helping Jesus Himself.
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