When God says no

David made the request to God to build a Temple (2 Samuel 7:1–3), and God’s rejected  that request (2 Samuel 7:4–17). Although God refused permission for David to build the Temple, God gave him promises that were more glorious than David could imagine at the time. Much to his surprise God pronounced David’s death, but then God immediately made promises about David’s seed and David’s kingdom proceeding from that seed. But first God promised that He would “make” David a “house”

Psalm 30 is a short psalm that has a most interesting title attached to it. The title specifically mentions the “house of David.” The theme throughout the twelve verses of Psalm 30 is death. The psalm tells of David’s rescue from God’s anger and an unknown illness that would have led directly to David’s death. God’s reprieve from death gave David an extension of life, just as King Hezekiah was given 15 years extra life during the time of Isaiah the prophet (2 Kings 20:6 and Isaiah 38:5). David eventually died, of course, 8 but David’s extension of life did occur, and it too was to God’s glory.

When nobody is around and when I am able to be absolutely honest with myself before God, I entertain certain dreams and hopes. I want very much by the end of my days to have ______(fill in the blank). However, it may well be that I will die with that desire unfulfilled. Should that occur, it will be one of the hardest things in the world for me to face and accept. David heard the Lord's "no" and quietly accepted it without resentment. That's awfully hard to do. But I find in David's final recorded words a life-sized portrait of a man after God's own heart.
Dreams die hard. But in his parting words, David chose to focus on what God had allowed him to do—to reign as king over Israel, to establish his son Solomon over the kingdom, and to pass the dream on to him (28:4–8). Then, in a beautiful prayer, an extemporaneous expression of worship to the Lord God, David praised the greatness of God, thanking Him for His many blessings, and then interceded for the people of Israel and for their new king, Solomon. David's prayer is found in 1 Chronicles 29:10–19.

Created 4 months ago