Chapter 6
| Theme: A Prayer in Amazement |
| Focus on: David |
| Reading Portion(s): 2 Samuel 7 & 1 Chronicles 17. |
| – Important Background Information | |
| – Helps you find strength in God |
| What this article teaches you |
| Prayer has got its own language. It sometimes cries, at other times pleads, asks or boldly knocks. But when God tells you of His plans for your future you find it difficult to express your wonder in the right words. That leads to the prayer of amazement.
This kind of praying can happen when God has rejected you to do something but not rejected your heart’s desire. Instead He would have given the responsibility of carrying out your plans to someone else. Yet God blesses you for having this good desire in your heart. As you realize your own unworthiness and your humble beginnings and your present goodness your heart will be lifted up in amazement. You go to sit in front of God to exclaim in wonder His praises. Such moments are filled with child-like language. They express wondrous adoration |
King David established himself as king very strongly by defeating all his enemies. And when he was well settled in his palace he had a special desire. David’s desire was to build a house for God.
David thought it strange that he should be living in a palace of cedar while the ark of God remained in a tent. David had always held God in great reverence in his own heart. Now he wanted to express his devotion to God in a very special way.
Here we read of the example of a man whose heart was never at rest even when he was established as king and well settled in life. He wanted to do something for God. He was not willing to sit back, relax and enjoy life simply because he was blessed and contented in life. His heart kept beating restlessly to do some great work for God.
So David made his desire known to Nathan the prophet. Nathan the prophet thought it a very good desire and therefore was quick in his reply. He told David to go ahead and do whatever he had in his mind for God was with him.
Yet God had a different plan. So that very night the Lord’s word came to Nathan. He reported to David all what God told him.
In essence, God told David that He had not complained of dwelling in a movable tent any time during the long history of the Israelite people. And that He had never asked of any ruler of Israel to build Him a house of cedar. God further reminded David that He had called him from following the flock to be the ruler of His people.
God promises to make David’s name great and also give rest from all his enemies. Again, God promises to build for David a house which meant that God will give him a long dynasty to follow him. God also told David that his son would be the one who will build a house for God’s Name. Finally God promised David an enduring kingdom that will last for ever.
In effect, God accepted David’s desire to build Him a house that bears God’s Name. But at the same time God did not permit David to build the house. That privilege God reserved for David’s son. David was not disappointed by this turn of events. Instead he was amazed at God’s great love and faithfulness towards His people at large and himself and his house in particular.
When Nathan reported all the words that God gave him, David went in and sat before the Lord. Then he prayed. David asked God who was he or his family that he should be brought that far in life. Not only that God had now spoken about the future of his house.
David wonders whether this is the usual way of God’s dealing with man. David also recalls the amazing ways in which God delivered the people of Israel from the land of Egypt and made them into a nation. Finally, David prays to God to keep His promise to build him a house for ever. He also prays to God to bless him and his house.
The language of this prayer is filled with amazement at God’s faithfulness. This prayer deserves special mention because it came at a time when God had disallowed David the privilege of building for Him a house that bears His Name. Yet at the same time God had promised to build for David a house that will endure for ever. In short, God had honored David’s desire though the actual carrying out of that plan would be done by his son.
Have you ever dreamed to build something great for God for the glory of His Name? Have you been rejected by God to do it? At the same time, have you seen someone else entrusted by God to do the same work? Nevertheless had God blessed you for having such a noble desire?
Have you in return to God’s revelation of His blessing to you and your house gone to sit in front of God to pray? Have your prayers ever been clothed in the language of wonder and amazement at the faithfulness of God to you? If not, try to recall the faithfulness of God in the past; think of His promise for the future, and then try to pray with amazement. You will certainly be amazed by the beauty of it.
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