A House for God

I am reading through 1 Chronicles right now, and as I finish up with the passages about the building of Solomon's temple, it occured to me that God had told David that He would establish His house and set one of David's descendants over it forever. I know that I've read this before, and that we know that Christ is spoken of as that descendant who would build this house that will stand forever, but it never really occured to me in this context and prophecy. David was told "...And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up they seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdon. He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my merby away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee: But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be extablished for evermore." 1 Chr. 17:11-14.

Of course, to David, this meant Solomon. He had the emple prepared before he was even dead, and gave charge to Solomon to walk with God and not to turn from him. God knew, and we now know, that His plan was not so much through Solomon, though there are great things God accomplished there. God's plan was for Jesus to be born of the line of David. Jesus built God's house (that's us!), and He reigns now and forever. God's plans often seem more immediate to our minds, or at least we think that He will accomplish His plans as promised, but within our lifetime. As I write this I am struck that there are things that I know I've heard God say about His plans that I could be guilty of trying to make happen in my lifetime that might now be planned for now. Am I willing to wait on His timing? Am I willing to sacrifice what I think should happen in a specific area and allow God to bring it about in His timing and in His way? Am I willing to risk it all and go forward with what I consider to be God's direction, even if God allows me to fail in these pursuits, knowing that I risked it all for God and was unwilling to sit on the sidelines just because I might be wrong? David went forward to do what He considered to be God's plan, and the temple that was built was of use, and beneficial to bring glory to God. However, God had a much bigger picture of what He was going to do, and we have the privilege of being a part of that, as God's house the church now.

Today consider how God might want to use you as a precursor to His bigger picture, and don't be afraid to step out in faith knowing that even if the endeavor fails, your devotion to God will only grow stronger, and you walk with Christ closer as you seek to serve Him with all you are.

A Shortened Life

Genesis 5:21-24, 27 "And Enoch liced sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: And Enoch walked with God after he bagat Methuselah three hundred years and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him...And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died."

OK, so I'm used to having learned that Methuselah was the oldest man to have ever lived on the earth, but not often to we hear about his father. I have also learned in the past that this man, Enoch, was taken up and did not die a normal death on the earth because he walked with God. What I didn't know, or at least had not registered in my brain, was that of those named in this family line in Genesis 5, Enoch was the youngest when his life on earth was over. All other mentioned here were at least 850 years, and only one less than 900 years. I will not go into why people lived longer here, as this is more suited for someone with more study and experience than I (Dr. Kent Hovind, for instance), but I simply want to point out that Enoch, who lived on this earth for 365 years, and was taken by God.

There are many questions that come to my mind as I read this. The first is from a quite utilitarion point of view. Why, if this man walked with God, did God not leave him to be an example to others who were still here? The second one is more from a view that things shold always be fair and equal, but why did this man get to walk with God when He had already kicked mankind out of His intimate presence? He is the first man mentioned to walk with God or to walk uprightly, and there are many to follow his life, even though he was not left on the earth for a long time.

So, my take-away from this is: the next time I think about someone's life being cut short, I will think of why God might have pulled them away and their walk with Him being something to celebrate. I know this does not apply to all cases, but it's a good foundation to think from. May the Lord bless your new year.