1 Chronicles 22: 7-10 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 the LORD said... ‘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... He is the one who will build a house for my Name.’
At first, these verses made me sad. David loved the Lord so much, that he wanted to honor him by building a temple for Him. But, the Lord had other plans. Essentially, God said to David, You are not the right person for that job, your son Solomon is the right one.
Those words must have been difficult for David to hear and obey. David had a dream in his heart and God told him “no”.
But, then I started to think about it a little more. David accomplished great things for the Lord. He conquered enemies and he was a great warrior. God had filled David with the abilities that he needed to be a great leader, plan intricate war strategies and win battles. God did not fill David with the qualities needed to plan and build a temple.
What if David hadn’t listened when God said, “no”?
1. David would have been taking his son’s purpose away from him. God filled Solomon with the attention to detail, the peaceful spirit and the wisdom to plan and build the temple. If Solomon wasn’t allowed to fulfill his purpose, he would have lived a life without knowing that sense of accomplishment.
2. David would have been taking a learning experience away from his son. There were things that God wanted to teach Solomon during the building of the temple. It was a time for Solomon to rely on God and his leading. It was a huge task, and Solomon would need God’s guidance throughout the project. If Solomon wasn’t allowed to build the temple he would not have known God so well.
3. If David had put his time and energy into the temple, he may have missed out on blessings that God had planned for him, because he was occupied with something he wasn’t supposed to be doing. David may have experienced frustration in building the temple, because he wasn’t gifted for that specific task.
Questions to consider from David and Solomon:
Are we spending time on things that God never intended for us to do?
Are we taking someone else’s purpose away from them?
Are we allowing God to grow close to others or are we standing in His way?
Father God, thank you for sending Your Son Jesus so that I can talk with you and know what you want me to accomplish. I confess that I don’t always ask you before I take on a new task. Please remind me to slow down and ask you prior to taking on any new responsibilities. Show me where I am using my energy on a job that belongs to someone else and help me to give it over to them. I want to do everything according to Your perfect plan. Amen.
