(Read 2 Sam 7:8-17)
Today I will continue with “Faith and Patience Volume 5 – Greater is Coming!” We pick up the story in a conversation between the Prophet Nathan and God. David told Nathan that he wanted to build God a house, out of the gratitude of his heart, and because he did not feel comfortable living in a lavish home while the Ark of the Covenant (and the presence of the Lord) remained in a tent. The prophet took the word to the Lord, and the Lord was pleased. The Lord instructed Nathan to tell David, “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. Evil nations won’t oppress them as they’ve done in the past, starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies.” What a tremendous blessing! With that statement, David was reminded of his past, and the Lord pronounced a blessing over his future as he led the nation of Israel.
If the Lord had not gone any further, what He had already spoken over David and Israel would have been good enough. However, the Lord often blesses us beyond measure. Since David was looking to BE a blessing to God, God was looking to BE a blessing to him. So the Lord went on to say, “Furthermore, the LORD declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings! For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do. But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight. Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.” Nathan then went back to David and told him everything the LORD had said.
So what does this mean for you today? A few things:
1. Many believers have to learn how to WALK IN THE BLESSING!
— Many believers know how to struggle. They have perfected long-suffering, for they know how to suffer long. In a series about faith and patience, these believers know how to wait, and wait, and wait on God. But they don’t know how to actually RECEIVE the blessing when it comes, and how to then WALK IN THE BLESSING and ENJOY it.
— For whatever reason, ‘church folk’ are drawn to preaching about struggle. But many of these same people reject preaching about WALKING IN THE BLESSING. If you say, “You will have TROUBLE,” they respond with a passionate, “AMEN!” But if you say, “God wants you to be blessed,” they look at you in a skeptical way. Part of the reason why this happens is because many have not learned how to RECEIVE from God. They know how to wait (they have perfected that). But they don’t know how to receive the blessing when the time comes.
— David waited for over 20 years to become the King of Israel. But when the time was right, he opened his heart to God, and he welcomed The Blessing. He had struggled for years. He fought against enemies and his own people. He was betrayed by his father in law. He spent years on the run. He even spent a period in a cave, at his lowest point. But when the time came for him to ENJOY and WALK in The Blessing, He did. He was okay with it. He was SO blessed that He wanted to BE a blessing to God.
— Part of learning to open your heart to God’s best and receive His blessing is learning what to do with the blessing when you receive it. God blesses you with “more than enough” — this can be an overflow of peace, love, mercy, grace, favor, and money — so you can, in turn, BE A BLESSING to others.
— When David’s season of struggle was over, and he started walking in the blessing, he wanted to BE a blessing to Israel and to the God of Israel. God was pleased with this, and God promised to make his name great and secure his legacy forever!
— My question for you is: Do you know how to WALK IN THE BLESSING? I know you know how to struggle. I know you know who to give… how to sow. But when your season of harvest comes, do you know how to RECEIVE?
— There are some people who are so used to struggling that when a season of blessing and peace comes, they don’t know how to REST IN IT! Don’t be one of them. Learn to endure when you need to endure and learn to ENJOY when it is time to ENJOY! WALK IN THE BLESSING!
2. The Lord loves it when our heart is set on blessing Him.
— While it is true that we were created to expand God’s Kingdom in the earth, it is also true that we were created to worship and bless the Lord (Ps 102:18, Rev 4:11).
— Once David was in position as King of Israel, and he was walking in the blessing, his first thought was to BE a blessing to the Lord. This attitude was pleasing in God’s sight.
— Like David, you can look around and acknowledge how blessed you are. You can see the grace and favor of God on your life. And also, like David, you should look for ways to bless the Lord. If you do, the Lord will be pleased, and when He is pleased with you, you will enjoy the outcome of God’s favor.
— When your season of blessing comes, and you are overwhelmingly blessed, please ensure to show your gratitude to God. One of the greatest ways to do so is to open your heart to advance God’s Kingdom in this world.
— When you live to BE a blessing to God, He can’t help but BE a blessing to you!
3. You can’t beat God’s giving.
— When your goal is to give to God, to be a blessing to Him, you will find that God will find ways to out-bless you.
— David wanted to build God a house, so God established David’s house forever. What David wanted to do would last a few generations, but what God did for Him endured from generation to generation. God will do the same for you.
— God may not give you the same blessing He gave David, but when your goal is to bless Him, you will find that He will surely bless you beyond measure.
— God’s blessing towards you is always far greater than anything you could ever give Him.
— We serve a God who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above anything we can ask, think or imagine (Eph 3:20).
— The more you sow into God, the more you will reap in this world. You can’t beat God’s giving, no matter how hard you try. The more you give, the more He gives to you!
4. Our God is a God of legacy.
— The Lord wants to bless you and your children (Ps 115:14). He wants you to be so blessed that you can leave an inheritance for our children’s children (Prov 13:22), and He wants the inheritance to be far greater than just money.
— When God looks at you, He sees you, your children, and your children’s children. When He deals with you, He is setting up your kids and grandkids to be blessed.
— When God seeks to eradicate unrighteous behavior in your life, He is looking to change you, but He is also looking to protect your lineage.
— What God wants to do in your life is much bigger than just you. David found this out, and I pray you do as well.
— What God wants to do TO you is about what He wants to do THROUGH you! So don’t fight the process. Allow the Lord to help stop unrighteous behavior in your generation, to release His blessing over you, and start new trends in your bloodline! If you do, you will leave a legacy of righteousness, by the grace of God.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, my heart is set on blessing You. I acknowledge how blessed I am. You have been better to me than I have been to You, and even better to me than I have been to myself. You are exceedingly kind towards me. When I look around and see how blessed I am, I can’t help but want to do something for You. I look for ways to be a blessing to You daily. I want You to get the glory out of everything I do. I seek to bless You today in every meeting, conversation, and activity I engage in. And as I seek to bless You, I know You will seek to bless me! While I am focused on being a blessing to You, I know You will be focused on being a blessing to me. You will bless me, more and more, me and my children. This is why I parent for a legacy. I will take everything You have poured into me and release it to my children. I will pray over them fervently and diligently. They will not have to start where I started. I want to see them do more and make a greater impact in Your Kingdom than I ever will. I want better for my children, and I thank You for being a God who transfers THE BLESSING to the second and third generation. My children and my children’s children shall be blessed because of Your hand upon my life. GREATER IS COMING FOR ME AND MY HOUSEHOLD! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
