David’s prayer of praise and thanksgiving

1 Chronicles 17:16-27

What are you thankful for, and how do you express your gratitude? Out of all the things you’ve been through in life, have you finally realized that your life actually has a purpose, or are you still confused whether or not your existence has any relevance in the earth. Believe it, or not, when God made you, He had intentions for you to do great things in this life. You were carefully constructed with gifts, talents, and special abilities, that would be revealed as you grow and mature in godliness. The closer you get to God, the easier it’ll become for you to recognize exactly what you were created to do. Take the life of David, for instance. As a boy, he was left to watch over his father’s sheep. Notice though, being a shepherd was no easy task, as there were many things to tend to, in order to keep the flock safe. From guarding against wild beasts, to feeding and caring for the needs of the flock, being a shepherd required courage, humility, patience, and a very strong will. David took pride in caring for his father’s sheep, but was unaware that God was only preparing him to become the shepherd of His chosen people, Israel.

In all that David did for God, he never allowed a moment to pass, without giving God praise, and thanks. Even in times of fear and great distress, David was confident that God was well able to deliver him from all his troubles, and was grateful for every answered prayer. Sharing like passions and desires as the Creator, David was deemed a man after God’s own heart. Although the great king David was far from perfect, he had mature faith that always kept him conscious of the fact that when God is first, all else will fall in place.

The body of Christ strives daily to fulfill God’s will on a consistent basis. Each individual effort is key in maintaining a healthy unit of believers, especially during these evil times. Whatever your calling is, take pride in doing it well, and thank God daily, for giving you the strength, and wisdom you need to stand strong in the faith. Give God continual praise for daily loading you with benefits as well. Everyday you wake up, inhale, then exhale, open your sleepy eyes, sit up gracefully, turn and place your feet on the floor, then arise on your own strength, is more than enough blessing to give God thanks and praise for.

Try to spend more time acknowledging what God is doing in your life, rather than focusing on the problems that cause you to worry and stress. Follow the example of king David, and reverence Him, because “For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the people are idols: but the Lord the heavens. Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place. Give unto the Lord, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Fear before him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The Lord reigneth. Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof: let the fields rejoice, and all that is therein. Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the Lord, because he cometh to judge the earth. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.” (1 Chronicles 16:25-34)

Walk in love,

Ell

David orients builders about the temple construction

1 Chronicles 22:14-19

When God created man, He made him good, and very good. After the image of God, and in His likeness, was man made. Based on the evidence in Scripture, it’s hinted that man was originally created to live forever, in the presence of God, but when satan caused man to sin, the man, woman, and serpent, were all cursed in the earth, introducing elements of life man and woman were not intended to partake of. The apparent curse of the woman continues today, as the average female is reminded monthly of Eve’s big mistake, but unlike the woman, who’s punishment came from within the body, the man was forced into hard labor, until he returns to the dust of the earth. God intended for life to be lived carefree, and in total submission to His way, but things took a turn for the worse, when God’s greatest creation willingly chose to do the opposite of what He commanded.

From the days of Adam until now, men continue to endure hard labor, in order to maintain balanced lifestyles. Our days are filled with constant hardships, sufferings and trials, but we must endure, so that we can support ourselves, and family consistently. Although work can become a hassle, proper planning, and preparation can help alleviate the stress work commonly produces. For example, I’m an engineer, and when I don’t have the proper tools and supplies necessary to complete a job, it causes lots of stress, but when all things are in supply, and readily available, it makes the day better for myself, and all those who’s issues and concerns I am able to resolve.

King David also understood how important it was to plan properly before starting a job. It’s estimated that David invested over 3 billion dollars worth of supplies and resources to build the temple of God. More than likely, majority of what David gathered came from years of accumulating spoils of war, and other methods. More than obtaining the necessary supplies required to complete the temple, David was also aware of the fact that God needed to be at the forefront of one’s motivation, to ensure that all work would be done decent, and in order.

After gathering the abundance of supplies, David encouraged Solomon to build God’s temple, and use the resources he accumulated for him, then add to them accordingly. David also mentioned to his son, “Only the Lord give thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law of the Lord thy God. Then shalt thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfil the statutes and judgments which the Lord charged Moses with concerning Israel: be strong, and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed” (vs. 12-13). In the same way God encourages His people, by reassuring their victory through the Word, and multiple examples of men and women in Scripture who were faithful until the end, David made Solomon even more confident in fulfilling his assignment, by mentioning the innumerable amount of skilled workers ready to assist at a moment’s notice. How encouraging it is, to be tasked with an extremely challenging assignment, but having an army of helpers standing at the ready to offer assistance! David literally went “all out” to ensure that his son had everything he needed to make God’s temple magnificent!

As you continue to walk in obedience to God, be sure to take advantage of all opportunities to edify your brothers, and sisters in Christ. There will be times, when you’ll meet some who have dreams and desires, but lack the resources to bring them to pass. But, you can be the one to make a difference in the life of those who seek to do great things, and may need a little push to get started. You may not have the wealth and material resources to assist, but your words of edification, and encouragement can be just what someone needs to be great in the kingdom of God.

Walk in love,

Ell

David selects materials for temple

1 Chronicles 22:2-5

Before king David died, he spent his latter years solely on preparing the materials to make the house of the Lord “…exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries” (vs. 5). This was one of the greatest acts of humility recorded in Scripture, as David willingly sacrificed years of hard labor, preparing abundantly, so that his son could fulfill the dream he once had for himself. God can do great things through people who live selflessly, and seek only to bring glory to His name. Are you living to make your name more famous than God’s, or are you walking in humility, and allowing the name of the Lord to be magnified, and glorified through your life?

Times have changed drastically from the reign of king David till now, as men don’t live as long as they did back then. In the past, men lived full lives, and made preparations for their children before they passed, but people die so young nowadays, until generations are cut off, before they even begin. Where David had time to live a full life for himself, and make plans for his offspring, we are blessed if we make it past 40 these days. Knowing that the lifespan of man has been cut awfully short (evidence of Bible prophecy fulfilled), should motivate everyone to strive to live great lives everyday. There’s no time to waste, participating in things that have little, to no eternal value, because time spent in this life can never be recovered. Whether you’re young, or seasoned, it’s imperative that you plan for your eternal future, today. While it’s good to invest in the lives of your family and friends, it’s more important for you to ensure your walk with God is on point, because we all have to stand before God one day, and give an account for how we spent every literal second, of every day on this earth.

“For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:14, KJV)

“But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” (Matthew 12:36, KJV)

“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world . . . Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” (Matthew 25:31-34, 41, KJV)

“But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.‭ For it is written, ‭As‭ I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.‭ So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.‭” (Romans 14:10-12, KJV)

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10, KJV)

Walk in love,

Ell

God’s forever covenant with David

Psalm 89:19-37

How long is forever? Have you ever considered that? If so, what are your thoughts? According to the United Nations World Population Prospects report, approximately 7,452 people die every day in the United States. To be more precise, a person in the US dies nearly every 12 seconds. Makes you wonder, when will our time come to move on from this life to the next. In any case, forever begins, when this present life ends, but the future doesn’t have to be a scary thought, if your life is planted firmly in the will of God.

When a person makes a commitment to follow after God, He will never leave, nor forsake them. In fact, they literally become engrafted into the family of God, thus allowing them to reap the full benefits He provides. When we join in covenant with God, He will immediately become our protector, provider, counselor, strength, compass, inspiration, and Father. These truths were revealed in the life of king David, as he and God shared countless experiences of faithfulness and righteousness during David’s reign. Out of all the people of his time, God chose David, exalted him, anointed him with oil, then established His kingdom and righteousness through his leading. As David walked in obedience to God, he was witness to the incredible power God holds. For example, God literally “beat down” all the king’s foes, and caused plagues to come upon those who hated him. God never was, nor is unjust in His ways, but when a man dishonors, and disrespects the children of God, He steps in and sets the record straight.

Like any good parent, who wants the best for their children, God made sure David, and his people were provided all the necessities of life, and lacked no good thing. Believe it, or not, the same way God promised to always be with David, He will do the same for those who walk according to His Word today. Are you living according to your own standards and ways? If you are, what does your life look like up to this point? While you still have time, commit your ways unto the Lord, and trust in Him, so that your living won’t be in vain any longer, you’ll experience protection like never before, and you’ll discover the peace that surpasses all understanding, forever!

Walk in love,

Ell

God makes a house for David

1 Chronicles 17:7-10

In the same way God made promises to Abraham, to bless him and his seed forever, God also promised to bless king David, and to ordain a place for his people, where they could be planted, and kept safe from all harm and danger. One important fact people need to understand is, God doesn’t make promises as men do, who often forfeit their agreement by not upholding what was established initially, but when God says something, He always follows through. It’s up to the other party to keep to what they agreed to, in order to receive what was promised. “For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Isa 55:10-11). “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19). Trust that God will make good on the promises He made to you. Continue to abide in God’s Word, and allow His Word to abide in you, so that you’ll be better situated to walk in obedience to His commands.

Walk in love,

Ell

God needs no house

2 Samuel 7:1-11

A few lessons ago, I mentioned the time when king David contemplated building a temple to house the presence of God, and this text is where the story of David’s desire to build a house for God can be found.

David was a great man; one who esteemed others over himself, and never took glory away from God. While celebrating during a festival (in the previous chapter), after placing the ark of the covenant in a new tabernacle, David’s wife, Michal, misjudged his worship to God, and bodily manifestations, as if he was representing himself in a vile manner. This was ironic, because David had returned home with the intentions to bless his family, but encountered the opposite from his ill-mannered wife. For some reason, Michal was always critical of David’s actions, so much until it caused her to be barren until her death. In her heart, she despised the very man whom God loved, and blessed abundantly.

I mentioned that brief summary of the end of chapter six, to bring to light how cool, calm, and collected David was, as He kept his focus on pleasing God, no matter who tried to hinder him. Many times we lose our composure, when others are critical of our relationship with God, but rather than change our praise to accommodate our haters, we should intensify it, in hopes that our fervent worship would possibly set them ablaze as well.

A while after putting his wife’s nonsense behind him, David pondered in his heart to build a house for God to dwell in. After gazing at the beautiful place he resided in, and wishing to build something greater for the Lord, God gave His servant a short lesson concerning His dwelling place. While his intentions were pure, God thought it best to teach David a short lesson by reminding him how He walked in a tent and tabernacle for hundreds of years, walked with Israel, never spoke of building a permanent house, took David from the sheep to be ruler over Israel, guided and protected David in all his adventures, cut off all his enemies, and made his name great! In other words, God put it simply, no place could hold all of His glory. While the tabernacle was the place where His presence was housed, God was never limited to that one location.

Aren’t you glad, the God we serve isn’t limited to time and space? Our God is awesome! He can do wondrous, and marvelous things! His love extends far beyond time itself! What makes Him even more special is, He lives inside of all who love Him. While king David was unable to build a house for God, you can invite Him to live inside your heart forever.

Walk in love,

Ell

Ornan’s land is site for temple

1 Chronicles 21:28-22:1

All around the world, you can find massive and majestic buildings, standing tall and firm. From the Sears Tower in Chicago, to the Leadenhall Building in London, what keeps such great edifices standing, are the solid foundations they rest upon. Without a firm foundation, no building would last, nor withstand severe weather. This same principle applies to our spirituality as well. The more firm and rooted we are in God, the longer we can withstand in this evil day, while continuing to build upon the kingdom of God. In our text, king David was assured that choosing to have God’s temple built on Ornan’s land would be ideal, because Ornan was a man of good character, and showed reverence for God. Can God use you to do great works in His name? Does your character, and behavior align with how Christ carried Himself on the earth? Invest more time in establishing a better relationship with God, so when He’s looking for someone to use, your name will be on the list of willing candidates.

Walk in love,

Ell

Solomon to build the temple

1 Chronicles 28:2-10

Have I mentioned lately how AWESOME the God of all creation is? I may have, once, or a thousand times 😊. God is good, and His mercy endures forever! He does all things decently, and in order. His standards are holiness, righteousness, and peace, and He expects all things done in His name to exude the same standard. Whether we minister, prophesy, sing, or exercise any other gift, it should always be done according to a holy standard, and with a perfect heart. While it may be hard, at times, to determine whether a man or woman renders a service to you with good intentions, God “searches all hearts, and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts”. God knows when a man’s heart is really into what they do for Him, or if they’re doing it just because.

Continuing from the previous lesson, king David’s first charge to his son, Solomon, is revealed in this text. David was in no way shy about sharing to others his intentions to build a temple to house the ark of the convent. Although God appreciated the idea, He preferred it be done by one who had no blood on his hands. King David had an extensive history of experiences with God, and His amazing power, so he understood what it took to remain in God’s good grace, and desired to teach it to his son. In his own words, David said, “And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever. Take heed now; for the Lord hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it” (vs. 9-10).

Any thought that comes to the mind, that will make God look good, He’s always in support of it. How often do you think of doing things where God’s name would be magnified? Are you too consumed into making your name great, until you fail to realize that all glory truly belongs to God? Practice putting more effort into building up God’s kingdom, and making His goodness known to those around you. Doing this will guarantee that God will shower you with favor, as long as you continue to seek Him, and not forsake Him.

Walk in love,

Ell

David cannot build the temple

1 Chronicles 22:6-13

In the body of Christ, every thought and idea that comes to one’s mind, isn’t intended to always be carried out by the same individual. Many times I’ve contemplated doing things that seemed good, but never felt as if I had God’s approval to carry them out. Later on in life, I discovered that God preferred someone else more capable of carrying out my ideas, to follow-through with them.

Our text highlights king David, who was a renowned man of war. Thousands upon thousands of men fell by his hand, and God witnessed him shed much blood upon the earth. When men heard tales of the great king David, they would remember his valiant acts during battle, and countless victories won, with the help of God the Father. Although king David was known for his years of bloodshed, there was a moment when he pondered in his heart to build God a temple, where His presence could dwell forever. Unfortunately for David, his good idea was not a God idea. Rather than have the temple built by the hands of a man who shed much blood, God preferred that it be constructed by someone of a more “restful” spirit. God knew the thoughts of king David, that he desired to build Him a temple, then intercepted those thoughts and mentioned to him, “Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight” (vs. 8). After hearing this word from the Lord, David could have easily turned hostile against it, but his humility and reverence for God allowed for him to accept that God preferred Solomon to be responsible for building the temple.

Do you get upset and bent out of shape, the moment your plans and ideas are accredited to someone else? Can you accept, and appreciate God for using your ideas through other people, without become bitter or envious? Not only did king David accept God’s word, but he decided to eliminate some of the hard tasks, including gathering all the supplies Solomon would need to construct such a great edifice. I can imagine a jealous person doing the total opposite. Rather than assist the one doing what they’ve always dreamed of, they’d probably step back, and let them do everything on their own, without offering any assistance, in hopes that they would fail. On the contrary, God wants us to follow king David’s example, by helping those whom God chooses you use, and not be a stumbling block, or distraction to their progress.

When your life is dedicated to God, and His love abides in your heart, you’ll never become jealous of anyone whom God selects to do great things for His kingdom. Instead, you’ll offer as much support as necessary, to see the plan through.

Walk in love,

Ell

Leaders bring ark to Jerusalem

1 Chronicles 15:4-13

The God of Heaven and earth, is keen on things being done according to order. The evidence of this can be seen throughout all creation. The heavens are layered specifically, and according to detail, the oceans are divided and set to flow in various directions, even the trees are designed to take root in the ground, but give fruit above the surface. Order is important to God, and He expects His people to live in such a way, that their lives are also lived according to structure, and order. Order brings balance, and structure allows for one to develop and mature at healthy rates. Operating in chaos only leads to dysfunction, and unhealthy lifestyles.

In our text, king David gathered all the priests of Israel (862 of them), to sanctify themselves before bringing the ark of the Lord God of Israel, back to Jerusalem. David mentioned to the men, how they failed before to follow God’s order of how things were expected to be done, and that he refused to disobey God a second time. So, the men wisely sanctified themselves before God, and were then permitted to transport the ark safely.

God always required proper instructions to be followed in seeking Him, and in carrying out His plans. As finite beings who rely on God for breath, and all other necessities of life, we are in no position to say anything against how God expects things to go. Only our obedience, and positive attitude are what we should give to God, in appreciation for all the things He does daily for us. If God did not excuse king David, whom He loved dearly, neither are we are exempt from committing to God’s order.

Walk in love,

Ell