Image from cascadeumc.org
Now when the king was settled in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, ‘See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.’ Nathan said to the king, ‘Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you.’But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’ Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever. (2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16)
David tried. No success. As the passage says, once David was in his palace, he thought about God who did not have a home in Israel, and tells the prophet Nathan that he wanted to build a house for God. It was a nice gesture, but it went against what God had wanted and not wanted in His dealings with Israel. God always wanted people to know that He is everywhere. The people, wanting to please God, had said, since You don't want a house, how about a nice throne? And they built the ark of the covenant as a symbolic throne for God; and yet God was still everywhere, not confined to one throne. And as result, David got a house from God. The House of David would become a very powerful symbol of God's love and presence with Israel. It was not so much an actual dwelling as it was a symbol of the family of David. And it is from the House of David that Our Savior Jesus comes from; thus the presence of this passage at Christmas.
I love how God reminds us that where ever we have been, God has been with us. He tells David that He has accompanied David from the pasture to the palace. He reminds David that all of his enemies are no more because of God's power over them. And God will continue to guide His people to the place where they should be, blessings them to be the people of God. In other words, you can't outgive God. You can try, but you won't be successful. Think you have more love than God has for you? Think again. Think you will do greater things for God than God will do for you? Think again. In fact, think about worshipping and serving God like never before. The same God of Whom it is said loved the World so much that He gave, will continue to give to us all that we need.
PRAYER: Loving God, thank You for giving so much to me. Help me to give to You and Yours in return the things that bless You. May Christmas be a time when I remember it is Your birthday that we are celebrating, not mine. It is in Christ Jesus' strong name that I pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. Please give to those around You as led by God.
Eradio Valverde
Prayer Update: Dear friends; Pastor Matt, Bill Meadows and myself visited Mr. Ashley Pirkle. We talked about his faith and life, and reflected some on what he'd like at his funeral. He's in good spirits, but his body needs our prayers as cancer has claimed his liver. We wait on God and ask God's will be done. Please continue to pray for Ashley and for Donald Cuvelier, who is also in hospice care at The Heights Nursing Facility.
