God has promises for your life. However, promises are a gift that is never forced. It is always up to the recipient to claim the gifts of God’s promises. What unclaimed promises are waiting for you, my sister?
Yesterday, in episode #1893: A Heart To Do More, we read all of 1 Chronicles 17. David had a heart to do more for God than God ever asked of him. After all of David’s successes, he wanted to do something great for God, so he decided he would build a Temple for God’s presence to reside in, rather than a portable tent. And in response, God tells David, “No, you are not the one to build a house for me. But after you die, one of your sons will build my house. Now David, I am building a house for you. A dynasty of kings. From you will come a King over my kingdom forever.”
God blessed David more than David could have ever blessed God. He sees our heart and responds to the desires within our heart. I’m learning the desires of my heart are growing, but they will never catch up with the desires of God’s heart for me. He will always meet me and raise me!
Isn’t that what God does? Just like a hand of poker, he meets us and then raises us. What he has to invest in us is always greater and bigger.
Now, imagine for a moment being David. He is King. He has gone from rags to riches. He is loved and celebrated. Everything he does turns to success because of God’s hand. But when he decides to build a Temple for God, God tells him no, you’re not the one to do it. That must have hurt a little.
Imagine having a beautiful voice and a genuine heart to sing for God, but God says, “No, you’re not the one I’ve chosen to sing for me.” Ouch.
Imagine being Michelangelo with all the artistic talent in the world to paint and being told by God, “Nope, you’re not the one I want to do my painting.”
Wouldn’t your feelings get hurt? Wouldn’t you question why God wouldn’t choose you? Wouldn’t it feel personal? Wouldn’t you pull away a little and get pouty? I know I would.
But David trusted what he could not understand. He didn’t have to understand God’s decision or selection, he didn’t even have to agree with it, he just trusted it. It wasn’t what he wanted, but it was what he accepted in faith.
Later, God reveals to David why he wasn’t the chosen one to build his temple. God said in 1 Chronicles 22: 8-10, “You have killed many men in the battles you have fought. And since you have shed so much blood in my sight, you will not be the one to build a Temple to honor my name. But you will have a son who will be a man of peace. I will give him peace with his enemies in all the surrounding lands. His name will be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel during his reign. He is the one who will build a temple to honor my name.”
When God says no to you, will you trust him without understanding why? Will you lean in instead of pulling away?
You know what David did when God told him he was not the chosen one to build his Temple? He began gathering the materials for building so when the one God had chosen was ready, it would all be there for him. Now that is remarkable. God, even if you don’t choose me to build it, I will help gather for it!
David leaned in, and as a result he received the promises of God that were greater than he could have ever imagined.
God promised to build a dynasty of kings for David. And he did. He promised to bring from him a King that would rule God’s Kingdom forever, and he did. Jesus is the descendant of David. He is the King of Kings. Remember, Jesus is identified as an ancestor of David more than any other person in his lineage. That’s the fulfillment of God’s promise!
 
Has a misunderstood move of God caused you to pull away?