Wednesday 9 September, 2020

7 After the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, 2 he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.” 3 Nathan replied to the king, “Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.” 4 But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying: 5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. 7 Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’ 8 “Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth. 10 And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning 11 and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders[a] over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies. “‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: 12 When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. 15 But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me[b]; your throne will be established forever.’” 17 Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.

David assumes to know what God wants. God corrects him: as though it
matters to God that His holy presence has been housed in a tent and
nomadic. (Remembering that the entire cosmos is God’s creation and that
God can move about it wherever He pleases). Despite this, God sees King
David’s heart and lets David in on His good plans for the future. The
good plans He has for David’s children and the heirs to David’s throne.
The good plans to plant Israel, prosper them and to put an end to the
harassment they’ve endured in the past.

God has good plans for us too. Even if our desires are sometimes
misplaced or misdirected, God’s plans for us are good. The deepest
desires we have for peace and rest, an end to troubles and a place to
call home – God has these things in store for us. And this is not just a
heavenly promise in the long distant future, this begins now, in so many
unique and personalised ways. The challenge we face is to humbly bring
our concerns and desires to God, and to trust them into His care,
confident that we aren’t ignored, confident that God listens closely and
will speak back to us with clarity and in love.

Dear Jesus, I put my cares into your hands knowing that you have good
things in store for me: today, tomorrow and for all time. Amen.

Written by Sam Stewart