Thus says the Lord, You shall not build a house for Me to dwell in..’ (v.4”)
David, in today's reading, didn't want to live in a palace while the Ark remained in a tent. He wanted to build a proper temple for it. And this time, he didn't rush ahead as he had done previously. Instead, he consulted Nathan the prophet, showing that he had learned an important lesson about submitting all his plans, to the Lord. God's answer, however, was “no”—the honor of building a temple would go to his son, Solomon.
When petitioning the Lord with our prayers, even with the best of motives, His answer can be “no”, as any good parent will sometimes respond. Why? Because our heavenly father knows what is best for all of us and His ways are not our ways. However, if our requests aline with HIS WILL, He will hear us (1 John 5:14) and give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4).
David was not allowed to build to the temple of the Lord because he was a man of war. However, the Lord promised to build him a house and establish his throne forever (vv.11-13), giving him abundantly more than he requested.
I have experienced this great truth many times in my life. The closure of one door followed by the opening of an even better one. As a result, I will gladly take door number two, the door of His choosing rather than mine.
The Truth: “How great is God—beyond our understanding!” (Job 36:26)
