Corona Devo 280

...he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in tent curtains.”  3 Nathan replied to the king, “Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.”  ~2 Samuel 7:2-3

One day as King David was settled in his palace (2 Kings 7:1), he was moved by the realization that he was surrounded by opulence and luxury while, in contrast, the Ark of the Covenant was being housed by mere "tent curtains" (2 Samuel 7:3). 

God's hand had been on David since he was a young boy, but David had also worked hard and stood on faith for what surrounded him too.  He was human and had the same innate desires within him that we do.  He strived, worked hard, fought for his positions and now he was resting in the rewards of his life's work.  But because of his love for the Lord, he also realized that all of it ultimately came to him from God.  And he wanted to honor God.

My mind drifted backward and recalled some of David's adventures in life.  Recall some of yours.  I realized that many of his and our rewards occur when we are in our battles.  We are always dreaming about the coming spoils of life, like time, money, and retirement.  But when we are in-the-trenches, although we may be exhausted, we are also highly fulfilled, aren't we?  It feels good to work hard at something and for something.  If you are like me, I remember working long hours at my first "real job" after college and loving it.  I felt like I was making a difference, and when we work in such a manner, we do make a difference.  

That job ended and my new one began in being a mom to 3 babies born in 6 years.  Feedings, changings, navigating life as a new parent, keeping your marriage intact and just-plain-functioning are all daily challenges during this stage of life.  And as I look back, it was awesome.  You are running on all cylinders because you have no other choice, and (if holding Christ's hand) it both propels you and fulfills you.  

We were made (by God) to work hard and take pride in whatever role the Lord has put in front of us.  And David had worked hard.  But as he reclined in his comfy La-Z-Boy chair (I am supposing) and looked around, he realized that when he was younger and more active, his worship and homage (and dependence) to God came many-times through active-obedience.  He was leading armies (literally) for the Lord, or he was remaining still when the Lord told him not to move, for example when he was in the cave with Saul and could have killed him, but the Lord impressed mercy on his heart (1 Samuel 24).

There are times in our lives when we are in active (physical) duty of serving and honoring the Lord.  And then there are less (physically) active seasons and David was in one.  We dream of these.  We count the days until we can sleep in on a weekend, and we fantasize about a retirement home in a warm location.  It's human-nature to dream of the downtime.  

But while David was "at-rest" and out-of-the-battle, he realized his excess of fortune in contrast to what he had allotted to honoring the current "house of God" (The Ark of the Covenant).  “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in tent curtains" (2 Samuel 7:2).

God strikes our hearts sometimes.  Is He striking yours today?

I love that Nathan, David's prophet, knew David's love for God well-enough to encourage David right from the get-go, even without any details of his plan.  Nathan replied to the king, “Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.” (2 Samuel 7:3).

You and I don't have a prophet like Nathan in our lives, but because of the relationship that we have with Jesus (or the relationship He wants with us), we don't need a go-between encourager.   God uses these verses today to speak into whatever endeavor has surfaced in our hearts for serving or honoring Him.

Consider this your go-ahead verse today: “Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.” (2 Samuel 7:3).

Let's earnestly consider how we can show honor to God today.  Just as David did, it is healthy for us to realize all that we have (and let's be honest--we are all living in a house of cedar too).  And yet, our spoils have come from God and so how can we honor Him?  Utilizing our words, our actions, our gifts--how can we honor Him today?  

And once the Holy Spirit prompts you and something comes to mind and heart, let Nathan's words embolden and encourage you: “Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.” (2 Samuel 7:3).

And the Lord is with us.  He is with us in the thick of life's battles and He is with us when we are blessed to be able to sit back and take a deep breath too.  Whichever place you are in today--Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.” (2 Samuel 7:3).

Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com 

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