The reason I don’t have a blog post up for the 7th—on the 7th– is that I rebelled! Rebelled against my own inner bully, my inner hard taskmaster. The reason I rebelled is because of what God showed me in my Bible study passage for the week: About David and his thwarted desire to “build God a house.” About me and my own thwarted dreams and demolished desires.

2 Samuel 7

I’ve read this scripture passage before, many times, really. But it never hit me quite like yesterday— kind of like a Mack truck coming head-on.

David, now king, with his nation at rest from war, wants to build a house for God. He lays his eager plans before Nathan the (human) prophet, and Nathan, too, thinks, “Great idea! Go for it!”

But later, that night, God gets in a word about it. And Nathan has “ears to hear” what God is saying instead of just what he and another earnest human are thinking.

What God says is what I need “ears to hear” as well. Over and over again. Because this is the lesson that repeatedly slides away from me in the cackle and bustle and loud advertising of life.

Pay attention, as I finally sat up and did, to the words God said, and the way He said them (emphasis mine, because that emphasis explains so well why God sometimes lets our high and lofty plans get demolished):

Would you build a house for Me?

When  have I ever spoken a word about this to anyone, saying, “Why haven’t you built me a house of cedar?”

[Insert chuckles. Mine.]

God goes on, to put things into correct perspective. He points out…

I’m the one who’s going to build a house—for you, and all my people…

[according to my plan, which I’ve been carrying out all along:]

I took you from the sheepfold… to be ruler over My people.

I have been with you wherever you have gone,

I’m the one who has cut off your enemies from before you, who has given you rest from those enemies

I am the one who made you a great name.

[That’s the past. This is the future:]

Moreover

I will appoint a place for my people.

I will plant them, so that they may dwell in a place of their own and move about no more; nor the sons of wickedness oppress them any more as previously…

since the time that I have caused you to have rest

Also the LORD tells you that He will make you a house.

So there!

 

Well, David gets it! He sees God for Who and What he is in His beyond-the-universe enormity, in comparison with David’s own miniscule human tininess, and God’s enormous heart of grace and generosity toward tiny humanity! I think He’s kind of bowled over, breathless! And so he confesses (which means to agree fully with God):

Who am I, O LORD God?

And what is my house [here meaning family], that You have brought me so far? And yet, this was a small thing in Your sight. You have spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come—and this for a mere human! [or for mere humanity]!

Now what more can I say to You?

For You know Your servant

And for the sake of Your word [promise] You have done all these great things according to Your own heart

to make Your servant know them!

Bottom line:

Now, O Lord GOD, You are God, and Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant. Now therefore, let it please You to bless … [as] You have spoken…

This is praying in God’s name (character), according to His word. This is a prayer of most blessed surrender–to God’s blessing: the kind of praying that I (and you?) need to do more of!

And the bottom-line understanding: that though God sees and appreciates our earnest desire to “accomplish things” for Him, what He wants from us is not our projects or accomplishments, but our hearts, our companionship, our close and grateful walk with Him. And when you stop and think about this, it’s astoundingly awesome!

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For a set of links to all the other posts in this “Meandering Forward” series, go to this page, which will be updated daily as new posts appear in the blog content.