(Read 2 Samuel 7:1-10)
This morning we continue our series “Grace that is Simply Amazing.” When things finally settled down for David and he was no longer fighting his own men or foreign attackers, the King summoned Nathan the prophet. David said to Nathan, “Look, I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of God is out there in a tent!” Nathan knew where David was going with this and he replied, “Go ahead and do whatever you have in mind, for the LORD is with you.”
But Nathan spoke to soon. That same night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said, “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the LORD has declared: Are you the one to build a house for me to live in? I have never lived in a house, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until this very day. I have always moved from one place to another with a tent and a Tabernacle as my dwelling. Yet no matter where I have gone with the Israelites, I have never once complained to Israel’s tribal leaders, the shepherds of my people Israel. I have never asked them, “Why haven’t you built me a beautiful cedar house?”’ The Lord knew what was on David’s mind. He knows our thoughts before we think them.
The Lord went on to say to Nathan, “Now go and say to my servant David, ‘This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes. Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth! And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed.” I had to stop at verse 10, for the sake of time. I will pick it up from here tomorrow and we will see more of what God said about building him a house and about settling the nation of Israel. For today, I want to glean some nuggets from what God said about David.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. The Lord took credit for selecting David for his purpose. The Lord said, “I took you from tending sheep in the pasture.” David was minding his own business, living his ordinary life, tending his father’s sheep in the field, when he was called out of the field to be called into the throne. This was the Lord’s doing. David did not earn this assignment, it was given to him by the grace of God. Likewise, the Lord selected you for a purpose before the foundations of the world, and He did it by His grace. You are not a mistake. You were born when you were and why you were for a reason.
2. The Lord took credit for giving David his assignment in life. The Lord said, “I selected you to be the leader of my people Israel.” This was a specific assignment and it was established before the foundations of the world. David discovered his purpose, so he was able to maximize his purpose and potential. Have you discovered yours? Life takes on new meaning and clarity once you discover your purpose. But you can’t come up with it, because God came up with it before you were born. Purpose can’t be developed, it must be discovered. Your goal is to find, follow and finish your purpose before you die.
3. The Lord took credit for protecting David for his purpose. David endured many challenging times in the space (about 20 years) between his selection as king and his ascension to the throne. But the Lord said, “I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes.” The Lord made it clear that He kept David for his purpose and He will do the same for you. Growing up in Brooklyn I was shot at, I had knives placed to my throat, and I even had a .357 magnum placed to my head when I was just 11yrs. old, but none of the attacks against me were successful, because the Lord was protecting me for my purpose, even before I ever acknowledged Him as Lord.
4. The Lord took credit, in advance, for what He was going to do in David’s life. After making it clear that He had been working throughout David’s past, the Lord said, “Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth!” With this statement the Lord was making it clear to David that He would also be involved in his future. The Lord did not bring him this far to leave him. The same can be said for you. The Lord has been good to you, but since you are still alive, God is not done with you. The Lord still wants to work in your life. He did not bring you this far to fail now. He brought you to this point, and since He is a God of progression and not regression, He is ready to take you even further.
Closing Confession: Father, You are the God of my past, my present and my future. You are the God of my yesterday, my today and my tomorrow. You are the God of my already, my right now and my not yet. You have been, You are now and You always will be the same. You chose me before the foundations of the world. You called me by name from my mother’s womb. You sanctified me for my purpose and You gave me a specific assignment. Not only that, but after revealing Your purpose to me, You have kept me in the space between the promise and the performance. You have called me to arrive at Your desired destination in life, but You have also graced me every step of the way. It has not always been easy, and I know Your purpose will not be realized without opposition, but You have given me the grace to overcome every obstacle, to face every attacker, and to win every battle. Furthermore, You have even kept me from more battles than I know about. You have been working in my life, all my life, and for that I will never cease to give You praise. And now Father, after looking back and saying, “Thank You.” You bless me to look forward with great expectation. I am still alive, because I have not completed my assignment. I am still here, because purpose is still locked up inside of me. I am still breathing, because Your treasure has yet to be fully unlocked in my life. I am determined to die empty; to get out of me everything You have placed in me. I will arrive at Your desired destination for my life, by Your grace, and I will enjoy every season along the way. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
