Tag: David | Page 2

Fear Not 365 – For God Will Give You Wisdom

February 24, 2017 by ChristianHolinessDaily Leave a Comment

King Solomon is known for great wealth, but he is remembered more for his wisdom.

In 1 Chronicles 22, David turns over the construction of the temple to Solomon, his son, and tells him to have no fear. David has gathered the materials for its construction. He has received the plans for the temple from God.

That’s the easy part, though. God, we learn, has denied David the opportunity to build the Holy Temple because David is a man of war. He is, in fact, too rebellious.

Although David is later called a Man after God’s heart, he has spent most of his life following his own paths, walking wide-eyed into desperate situations, and remaining in dire straights until he hits rock bottom. Only when he hits rock bottom does he ever repent and fall on his face, asking God’s forgiveness. It is a circuitous pattern.

By the time David commissions Solomon to construct of the temple, he had reigned over Israel for forty years. He was full of days and full of wisdom. He assures his son…

“Courage! Take charge! Don’t be timid; don’t hold back. Look at this—I’ve gone to a lot of trouble to stockpile materials for the sanctuary of God: a hundred thousand talents (3,775 tons) of gold, a million talents (37,750 tons) of silver, tons of bronze and iron—too much to weigh—and all this timber and stone. And you’re free to add more. And workers both plentiful and prepared: stonecutters, masons, carpenters, artisans in gold and silver, bronze and iron. You’re all set—get to work!”

– 1 Chronicles 22:13-16 MSG

Back up a few verses, though, and one sees the foundation upon which David based that entire conversation. It is the same foundation upon which, by that time, he had learned to base his life.

Verse 12 NKJV: Only may the Lord give you wisdom and understanding, and give you charge concerning Israel, that you may keep the law of the Lord your God.

The Message makes the verse a little easier to understand. “And may God also give you discernment and understanding when he puts you in charge of Israel so that you will rule in reverent obedience under God’s Revelation.”

Like David, I struggle to give God control of my life. Like him, I must sometimes hit rock bottom before I do. Like him, it has taken me forty years to begin to mature in my spiritual life. Readers, take this lesson to heart: surrender and study God’s Word. Seek the knowledge that builds godly wisdom. For only God’s wisdom protects you from the slavery of sin, and allows you to keep God’s Law.

Fear Not, for God will give you wisdom and understanding and keep you free from the slavery of sin.

Fear Not 365 – For He is Preparing His House

February 23, 2017 by ChristianHolinessDaily Leave a Comment

Like most of us, King David lived a life full of sorrow and joy, triumph and regret. One of his regrets was his failure to build the house of the Lord, the Holy Temple. God refused to allow David to build it because David had too much blood on his hands.

Still David prepared for its construction by gathering the building materials, and turning over the materials and plans to his son (1 Chronicles 22), Solomon, who, in fact, constructed the most splendid temple ever conceived. It took seven years to build. Solomon employed seventy thousand men to bear the burden of construction. He hired eighty thousand men to quarry the stone. He sanctioned 3600 foremen. It was a wonderous achievement.

As glorious as the temple was, it is not what Solomon is remembered for today. Solomon is best remembered for his wisdom.

In Psalm 127, Solomon tells us,

Unless the Lord builds the house,

They labor in vain who build it;

You and I are just as wondrous as Solomon’s temple if we are truly children of God. In 1 Corinthians 6:19, Apostle Paul tells us that we- Christians – are God’s temple.

We can take care of our bodies, and should, but the construction of the entire temple (our lives) must be turned over to God.

God has gathered the materials to make you into His temple. He has lined up the workers. He spares no expense. He has drawn up the plans. He is the builder. He is the foreman, and the head craftsman. Allow Him to construct your life.

Do not be afraid, for He has taken much trouble to prepare a house for the Lord… The house is you.

Fear Not 365 – He Delivered Me

January 20, 2017 by ChristianHolinessDaily Leave a Comment

I have always thought that the life of David is fascinating. He was a man full of conflict and paradox. He was tough, smart, and a fearless warrior. At the same time, he was cunning, devious, passionate, fearful and vulnerable. He was a shepherd, musician, poet, warrior, and king. He was, in other words, human.

In Psalm 34, David gives thanks for God’s protection, for delivering him from his enemies. This Psalm was written while David hid from King Saul among the Philistines. David spent his entire life, it seems, in a cycle of sin, repentance, and forgiveness, followed by sin again. And again. And again. You and I are much the same.

In a passage similar to Psalms 34:4 (2 Timothy 4:18), we find Paul Pouring out his heart just before facing Caesar and execution. He says,

“The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom.”

Both David and Paul were fully human, full of sin, murderers both, yet they are considered great men of God. Why? They fell on their faces daily and repented. When God revealed to them their deceitful hearts, they sought God’s mercy and asked Him to cleanse their hearts and change their lives.

The difference in these passages, one written by David and one written by Paul, is this. David’s plea was answered when God rescued him from a dangerous situation and hid him in the unlikeliest of places. David lived many more years. Paul’s prayer was answered by his immediate execution. In Paul’s mind (and in truth), though, his execution was rescue. He was “taken safely to [God’s] heavenly kingdom,” which had been his hope for years.

Both were delivered, but in very different ways.