As humans, our hearts can be pulled in so many directions. Just this morning, my heart was pulled to my son's kindergarten class. I was very emotional as we are preparing to close that chapter of his life. I am so thankful for his teachers and how much he has learned this year. My heart was overflowing with joy and thankfulness for a healthy little boy and caring teachers who have helped teach him to read and write. This is a perfect lesson for me today because I am reminded to pour my thankfulness and joy back to the Lord.
The Bible gives us wonderful examples of how we can express our emotions to God. David directed his joy, sorrow, anger to God through prayer and song. He had a passion for the Lord! David sought the Lord and wanted others to also.
David had "it in his heart" to build the temple for the Lord. However, as we were just reminded in I Chronicles 21, God told David that was not his job to do. Instead, God's plan was for one of David's sons to build the temple. David had obviously been blessed with great worldly riches and God did allow David to participate in the process. David made "extensive preparations" including purchasing land and gathering skilled laborers and supplies. When David felt the preparations were completed, he called his young and inexperienced son, Solomon, and charged him with the task at hand. David gave Solomon instructions, blessings, and words from God as he turned the job to his son. David also some of the challenges and temptations Solomon would face as king AND he knew what was MOST important as he gave this advice:
Now devote your HEART and SOUL to
seeking the LORD your God.
~ I Chronicles 22:19
seeking the LORD your God.
~ I Chronicles 22:19
In David's later years, he was concerned with building the temple, or God's dwelling place. He wanted to make sure the temple was constructed well, with the finest supplies and laborers and that Levites and priests were clear about their assignments (23:2-5). God's House needed to be established and maintained. The same is still true for us today as New Testament believers.
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple
and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?
If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person;
for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.
~ I Corinthians 3:16-17
and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?
If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person;
for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.
~ I Corinthians 3:16-17
Today, we are the temple of God. He has given us the assignment of building and protecting His dwelling place, the "church". How perfectly this ties into Pastor Chris' sermon yesterday! By church, I do not mean the physical building, but people who believe in Jesus Christ. As Pastor Chris stated yesterday, building the church means: First, devoting ourselves to learning more about God and building our personal relationship with Him; Second, telling others so that they can know and believe.
God desires our heart, soul, mind, and strength... everything we have! Are we devoted to seeking Him? Are we devoted to building His church? Are we devoted to grow in our personal relationship with Him? Are we devoted to telling others about Him?
Do we have a burning passion to seek Him with all of our HEART and SOUL? I pray today that we do!
