Tag Archives: God's will

Dreams and Disappointment

1 Chronicles 17

I am always convicted when I read how King David reacts to disappointment. His disappointment wasn’t like that of someone with a craving finding out Dunkin Donuts just sold their last jelly donut. David had a passion. And it was a good one.

Out of his overflowing love of God, David wanted to build a temple worthy of housing the Ark of the Covenant, a place deserving of the Presence of God. That, to me, is a worthy cause, one that would seemingly be pleasing to God.

I’m pretty sure David laid awake at night picturing how he would build the Temple; a wall here, a window there. Maybe he even did a Joanna Gaines and pictured where the furniture would go, the color scheme, the shiplap. I think David planned a home fit for the King of the Universe. Nothing would be too good or too expensive in building a temple for the God he loved so much.

But God told him, “NO!” Put on the brakes, there, David. I’ve got other plans.

God shut the door on that project. David would not build the temple. He wouldn’t realize his dream. God said so.

Have you ever had God shut a door on your plans? A relationship ends. You don’t get the job you’ve prepared for all your life. A ministry you really want goes to someone else. Maybe your child quits playing baseball, shattering your dreams of a professional career.

How do you react? How did David react? He looked toward heaven and said, “Thank you.” You heard me right. God said, “No.” David said, “Thank you.”

Verse 6 says:

Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house that you have brought me thus far?

I hope you’ll read David’s prayer. He goes on to praise God for blessing him way more than he deserves. He lays his dreams at the feet of God – and lets go. How? How could he not at least question God’s judgment or try to talk God into changing His mind?

Read it.

Then ask yourself: has God been faithful to me in the past? Am I blessed?

You know He has and you are! So don’t doubt God will continue to be faithful, continue to bless, even if you don’t understand Him at the moment.

David shows me that he loved God more than he loved his dreams. Every time I read this portion of Scripture, I find myself asking if the same can be said of me.

What About Here?

Numbers 23-26

How many times have I wanted God to DO something? I pray, but a door closes. I pray again, and His answer continues to be “No!”

So, I figure if I do something different, He’ll do what I want Him to do. I decide to go to church every Sunday instead of just occasionally. Maybe God will do what I’m asking from over here.

Again, the door I want open shuts in my face. So I decide to try something else. I write a bigger check and place it in the offering plate. Maybe God will answer me from here.

But when the answer is still “No!” I move on. I actually start inviting people to church. Surely God will do what I want from here.

Balak learned that no matter where you stand, if your request is a sin, God’s answer will be “No!”

Friend, if you think God’s not hearing you, even when you try to clean up your act thinking God will answer your prayer if you do, you might want to take a closer look at your request. God loves you enough not to give you permission to sin.

But if God’s “No” is a “Wait,” then trust Him. Give it to Him, then continue to serve Him out of love and in humility, believing He works all things for the good of we who love Him. Storm the throne of heaven with your request, if your request aligns with Scripture and is consistent with God’s character. Be patient for His will to be done.

Learn from Balak and Balaam. You can muster up all kinds of faith, you can say all the right words, and try to get to God from different angles in order to get Him to do what you want. But if your request is a sin, take the “No” as His love toward you. Because that’s what it is.

(Isaiah 15-19) Who Do You Listen To?

I think we all like to believe in our abilities. We want to believe we are strong and capable and powerful and clever and can handle (or should be able to handle) anything life throws our way.

But Scripture – and experience – tells us that just isn’t always so. If God is not in it, our efforts are doomed.

We need to be careful who we listen to. The world wants us to suck it up, pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps, overcome by our own resolve. God wants us to trust Him.

God promises to defeat any enemy of we who obey Him. God longs to move mountains, destroy enemies, give us victory. But so often we get in His way. The result, like we see here in Isaiah is drought, defeat, devastation.

I want to surrender today to God, completely, unreservedly, happily. I’m not ashamed to admit I need Him.