Thursday 17 Jul 2014

July 17: 2 Samuel 7:4-11

Key Verse: 2 Samuel 7:7
Wherever I have moved about with all the children of Israel, have I ever spoken a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’”’

Devotion:
How many times have you come up with what you think is a good idea? Not just a good idea for yourself but a good idea for God or for some other person in charge of something in your life? We like to think that there are things that no other people have come up with so that we can impress others or even impress God with our love and devotion. What we have to do is to stop and think about why we are offering what we offer… Are we doing it just so that we can get noticed, or are we doing it to give glory and honour to the target of our affection?

Making the biggest and the best for someone is not always as good as we think it is going to be; we may have this idea in our heads that nobody else will want to follow up on because it is only a good idea in our own minds. Seeking God’s advice and following that is what we need to get to grips on. This is not me saying that we should just wait for God to tell us what to do… David was making the first move here but he did seek council from God’s representative (the prophet Nathan) to make sure that it was right.

When we go off and focus on what we think is good for God or for others we may well lose focus on what is actually good and end up doing what we want rather than what is right. God wants us to keep our hearts and eyes focused on what He has taught us to do rather than what we think is right. We do get carried away with seeing the world and all the worldly activities around us instead of God’s will; and often that is because we are focusing on the world instead of the commands that God has given us.

The commandments give us the law and set out what is right and wrong. God’s commands, on the other hand, tell us where we should be focusing and aiming our hearts and minds. We have to choose the right path and follow it because we want to and not because the world says so. Choosing to follow God is something we do. Choosing to follow God’s will is something we should be doing. What I do is not always right. Don’t follow man; follow God!

Points to Ponder:
Do you want to do something for God?

Have you asked Him if it is right?