Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

A Daily Devotional by Kenton Cheek

22 May 2024

Reading From II Samuel 24, I Chronicles 22-24, Psalm 30

“David said, “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the Lord should be of great magnificence and fame and splendor in the sight of all the nations. Therefore I will make preparations for it.” So David made extensive preparations before his death.

Then he called for his son Solomon and charged him to build a house for the Lord, the God of Israel. David said to Solomon: “My son, I had it in my heart to build a house for the Name of the Lord my God. But this word of the Lord came to me: ‘You have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight. But you will have a son who will be a man of peace and rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon,and I will grant Israel peace and quiet during his reign. He is the one who will build a house for my Name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’

“Now, my son, the Lord be with you, and may you have success and build the house of the Lord your God, as he said you would. May the Lord give you discretion and understanding when he puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the Lord your God. Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the Lord gave Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”

–I Chronicles 22:5-13

     At many turns in his story, glimpses into the heart of David show his character.  God told him that because he had shed so much blood and fought in so many wars that he would not be the one to build the temple.  For David building a House of the Lord was to be an act of worship and so strong was his love for the Lord that discovering he wouldn’t be the one to do it did not deter him from doing all that he could to be sure it would be build by his son.  The second human king of Israel was determined to leave a legacy for the glory of God. 

David wanted the temple to be a kind of evangelistic tool to show the nations how wonderful serving Yahweh was. This focuses my mind on what kind of legacy I am building for those around me and the generations who follow. What about my life will point to Jesus and the blessings of following Him? Will my testimony have a lasting impact? This is a question that would be prudent for all of us to ask as we build our lives upon the foundation of Christ and His Word. The promise made to David that his kingdom would never end is being fulfilled through the building up of the Kingdom of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ and we as part of His royal priesthood are part of that. How exciting!

     The flow of history never ceases to intrigue me.  Granted we’ve been given the benefit of hindsight, but we can see that part of why the reign of Solomon could be one of peace and rest was because David had fought long and hard with the Lord on his side to push back the enemies of Israel.  God blessed Solomon with wisdom which certainly contributes to peaceful government, and I can see a foreshadowing of that as an answered prayer from his father David.  The aging king asked for “discretion and understanding” for his young son.  His encouragements for obedience, strength and courage echo those given by the Lord to Joshua at the beginning of his leadership as a judge.  May the same be true of us.

“Lord, I pray that I would have it my heart to do whatever I can for the advancement of Your kingdom upon the Earth.  Whenever I hit a roadblock of any kind, even if that closed door is from You, I ask for strength and perseverance that it would not discourage or stop me from continue to labor in Your vineyard, for You are the Vine and we are the branches.  Give Your children discretion, understanding, wisdom, strength and courage as we endeavor to share Your compassion and message of hope.  May we obey You out of love.  In the Name of Jesus, Amen.”

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand

–Ephesians 6:10-13