I know when God is teaching me a lesson. In just one morning, three times I read about David wanting to build a temple for God in 2nd Samuel chapter 7. What David wanted to do sounded like a very good thing. Afterall, he was planning to build a temple for the ark of God to house His presence. But it was not God’s thing. God had other plans, so although David wanted to do this tribute to God, he was not permitted to do so and had to relinquish his plan for God’s plan.
Now it came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies all around, that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains.” Then Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.” But it happened that night that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Would you build a house for Me to dwell in? For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt, even to this day, but have moved about in a tent and in a tabernacle. Wherever I have moved about with all the children of Israel, have I ever spoken a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’ 2 Samuel 7:1-7
David was now in a perfect position to build a house for God. He had rest from his enemies, and he had the resources. He had built his own home and now felt that since he had his own abode, it was now time to have a much more suitable place for God’s ark to dwell. But that was not God’s idea. The Lord would not use David to build His house, but rather his son. Instead, the Lord was going to build David a house, and out of this house, would come the Messiah, Jesus, who would reign forever. David had his plan for God, but God had a much bigger and better plan for David. God is able through His mighty power that is working in us to do infinitely more than we could ever ask or think.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:8-11
With God, we should never try to lean on our own understanding. We need to trust and obey Him as He leads us in His mysterious ways. His ways may not make sense to us. If they did, then He wouldn’t be God. This is why we must acknowledge Him in all our ways, and He will direct our paths.
Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,” says the Lord. “You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says the Lord of hosts. “Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.” Haggai 1:7-11
We should ask God what He wants us to do in each season. Centuries later, the Lord was angry because the time had come to rebuild His house, but the people were more concerned about their own homes while the temple was in ruins. And because of this they were not having success and their plans were failing. It is important to be wise and seek the counsel of the Lord who is all-knowing, ever-present, and not limited by time. He knows what the future holds as He holds it in His hands. So, it is best to be aligned with His plans for our lives.
There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the LORD’s counsel—that will stand. Proverbs 19:21
We can do what we think is best or we can seek the Lord and let Him show us what steps He has determined for us since His purposes will prevail anyway. We must never forget also that God’s way may seem foolish to the world, but He uses the foolish and despised things of the world to confuse the wise. I don’t know about you, but I would rather be a fool in the world’s eyes and follow God rather than being wise in the world’s eyes while disobeying God. My reputation is not more important than God being glorified in my life. Therefore, I want to do God’s thing rather than what the world considers a good thing but is not of God.
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