Spend time in prayer and silence with God asking him to meet you and speak to you.
Bible Reading
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.’
– 1 Chronicles 22:6-10
Devotion
Have you ever had your heart set on something only to be disappointed? We all have! It starts in childhood when we had a secret hope for a certain birthday gift only to receive something entirely different. Since then our disappointments have become far more serious. Unfulfilled hope for jobs, relationships, and children often leave us disappointed. It seems like the disappointment is even more difficult to accept when we believe that our hope is for a good cause rather than a selfish desire.
David dealt with a significant disappointment regarding a hope that came from his heart for God. David desired to build a palace-like temple for God before the end of his life. He envisioned it as the capstone of his kingship and as a demonstration of his deep love for God. God, however, had different plans.
God decided that David’s son and next king, Solomon, would be the one to build the temple. I am sure that this was tough for David to accept considering the ups and downs in his life and certainly his devotion to the Lord. It is clear from the way that he spoke that he had his heart set on building a house for God. Yet he was willing to accept the “No” from God.
Sometimes God will close a door that we really wanted to walk through. There will be times that we will have our heart set on something, but God has other ideas. In those times we need to learn from the example of David and put our faith in God’s perfect plan.
The Big Question
What is an area of disappointment that God is calling you to accept? How can you be obedient to God’s “No” even when you have had your heart set on your version of the plan?
Conclude in prayer and silence reflecting on what you’ve learned.