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| "David" - by Rembrandt |
TO CHEW ON: "Then King David went in a sat before the Lord ...." 2 Samuel 7:18
In today's reading we see how David became king over all Israel and Judah, consolidated his rule, and buitd a house for himself. Then it occurred to him to build a permanent home for the ark. He told Nathan the prophet, who gave his blessing to this plan. But God thought otherwise. He told Nathan to return to David and tell him, 'No. You are not to build Me a house.'
Did David feel shock and disappointment at the change? Did he have the urge to question and argue? Nathan's message obviously got him thinking and wanting to be in touch with God about what was going on. So he went in and "... sat before the Lord."
"'Sat' actually means remained," says my Bible footnote to this verse. "David spends a lengthy time before the Lord, that is, in the tent where the ark stood"- Jerry Cook, commentary on 2 Samuel, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 411.
As he sat there, his thoughts ranged:
- He saw his own puniness and insignificance - 2 Samuel 7:18.
- He marveled at God's grace and favour to his family, given for reasons only God knows - 2 Samuel 7:18-21.
- In God's blessing of him and the nation of Israel, he recognized God's greatness and he foresaw Israel becoming a blessing to the whole earth - 2 Samuel 7:22-24.
By the end of his time of sitting before God any vestige of a snit is gone. He was completely back in sync with God's plan - 2 Samuel 7:27-29.
What a great example David is to us. When things catch us by surprise, when our expectations come crashing down in disappointment or failure, when the road forks and we sense God tugging us in a direction we hadn't planned on going—and tens of other times—is a good time for us to stop and sit before God.
There we can let Him impress us with His person. He may reassure us with memories of His help in the past. And no doubt He will feed our imaginations with the possibilities of the course He is setting us on for the future.
PRAYER: Dear God, in the hustle and bustle of life, I don't take enough time to sit before You. Please draw me aside to do this, and to make a habit to spend time regularly sitting in Your presence. Amen.
PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 88
The Bible Project VIDEO: Messiah (Theme series)
MORE: His presence—a cure for anxiety
"Our eyes should be taken off self, removed from our own weakness and allowed to rest implicitly upon God's strength .... A simple confiding faith, living day by day and casting its burden on the Lord, each hour of the day, will dissipate fear, drive away misgiving and deliver from doubt (Philippians 4:6).
"That is the divine cure for all fear, anxiety and undue concern of soul, all of which are closely akin to doubt and unbelief" - E. M. Bounds, E. M. Bounds on Prayer, Kindle location p. 20)
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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
