BIGGER THAN US

I Chronicles 17:16 “Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: Who am I, LORD God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?”

Our text is nestled in the middle of dialog between the King and the Prophet and between a worshipper and his God. As David walks throughout his palace, he thinks, “How did this all come to be about me? I live in a palace while the presence of the God of Israel dwells in a pasture.” My, how far David had come. It was a long way back to his early teens tending sheep in Jesse’s fields. The head and armor of the giant had been collecting dust for decades in Israel’s treasury. Long past were the days when David was captain over the 400 distressed, indebted and discontented at Adulliam. Faded were the memories of hatred toward him by a jealous king.

To the onlooker David had arrived. He had climbed the ladder one difficult rung at a time and now, he was on top. But King David had a deeply ingrained truth burned into the fabric of his being. He said in 2 Samuel “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; The God of my strength, in whom I will trust.”

His life success was due to a connection – a personal, intimate connection with God. I believe it was that connection with God that caused David to desire to honor God in a greater way than he ever had. To, in a way, put God on display. When you and I really get connected to the Kingdom of God and the cause of Christ, we’ll have a similar experience as David.

Living for Christ becomes so little about me, about my desires, about my liberties, about my spiritual “position”, and more about His position in me: King of my heart, Lord of my life, owner of my stuff, purpose of my ministry, reason for my existence.

David realized that his success wasn’t about his kingdom but about God’s. Not about what he had, but about what God had given him to use for the furtherance of God’s purpose. So David wanted to build a temple that would house the Ark of the Covenant, the presence of God. But, God said “No”. That was a privilege that was being reserved for Solomon. You see, David loved God and God was building a legacy for David.

Still, David had to wonder why God would not allow him to build this temple. But David’s sincere desire to honor God was really what God wanted. Sometimes, we may find ourselves wanting to do the right thing. We may find ourselves so hungry to do something specific for God. Maybe, you want to lead worship. Perhaps, you want to teach. Maybe, your hope is to be a pastor. No matter what your dreams may be, the important thing is that your heart is passionate for God. If so, there will always be a way to honor Him. It may not be exactly the way you thought it would be…but God’s perfect plan is for you and me to be connected to the Kingdom and therefore, connected to Christ.

Remember, God has brought us so far. He has so many great things for us. They are bigger than our hopes and dreams. They are bigger than our faults and failures. They are bigger than us.