Foundations Week 17, Day 3

Scripture Read: 2 Samuel 6, 7
Title: David Desires to Bless God, But God Blesses Him
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H.E.A.R. Entry
(H) Highlight verse:  "When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.  He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever..'"  2 Samuel 7:12,13

(E) Explain:  David realizes that He is a blessed man.  God has provided for him and protected him for his whole life.  He tells God that it is not right that he has a home to live in, but God, via the Ark of the Covenant, does not have a home.  So, David tells the LORD he wants to build Him a home, or a temple.  He wants to bless God with this gift, but God graciously refuses the blessing and in turn He blesses David by establishing a covenant with him.  God promises to establish an eternal kingdom through David and that one day the eternal King will come from his lineage and he will build a house for the LORD's name.  Of course God is speaking about the Messiah, Jesus.  When we look at this account we see God's unwavering grace and love.  David had a plan for God, to build Him a home, but God had a bigger plan for him, to promise an eternal Kingdom through his lineage, and this shows us how amazing our God is. We try to bless Him, but we can't outbless. God.

(A) Application:   We plan.  We set goals.  We create and cast vision and mission statements.  But we often fail to seek God’s plan over our desires.  Sometimes our will and God’s will do not line up.  Our desires and plans may not be bad, sinful or selfish but they are not what God has willed at this specific moment.  This can be frustrating on a personal level because we put a lot of time, effort and resources into our plans just to see the door closed on us.  We think we have wasted all of our time, effort and resources when in reality the closed door is pointing us in the God’s direction.  Pastor James Montgomery Boice writes, “We need to understand that ‘closed doors’ though they are a type of negative guidance, are nevertheless true guidance.”[1]  It is important to be sensitive to the Spirit of God and flexible to change when God is the one who initiates the change. 
[1] Boice, James Montgomery: Acts, Grand Rapids, Baker Books, 1997 p. 274

(R) Respond: LORD, I want to be a blessing to you.  I so often think there are things that I can do to make you love me more, but in reality you love me regardless of what I do or do not do.  I am blessed and I acknowledge that every day.  I am so thankful that you have great pleasure in blessing your children.