Blank Spacer
A journey through Lent - 2016
Blank Spacer
Day Nine - The House.
In this passage David is finally settled in his permanent home. His thoughts, perhaps naturally, turn to creating a permanent house for the ark of God.
However, the word of the Lord comes telling David that he is not to build a temple, rather the Lord would secure his "house" and this would lead to the one who would "sit on the throne forever."
This is God's promise that his own Son would arise from among the descendants of David.
God is so often like this! We offer him our plan of how we will glorify and honor him, and he counters with a completely different plan, in this instance one in which he is glorified by becoming both king and substitute.
God is aware of the longings in our hearts and translates our plans and our prayers so that they are far more than we would have dared to ask or imagine.
So we are called to pray, pray and pray, to the limit of our vision and faith, and then we are to be prepared for God to enable us to do something even better.
Bible Passage: - 2 Samuel Chapter 7 Verses 1 - 5 and 11 - 17 (NIV)
After the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, he said to Nathan the prophet, 'Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.'
Nathan replied to the king, 'Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.'
But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:
'Go and tell my servant David, "This is what the Lord says: are you the one to build me a house to dwell in?
.........
and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.
'"The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: when your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom shall endure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever."'
Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.
Contemplation Saying.
"The Lord himself will establish a house for you"
Contemplative Prayer.
Think of the saying in order to understand context and meaning,
Feel the meaning of the saying with and in your heart,
Pray, using the saying, for yourself or others. With only a name and without explaining the reasons or pre-defining any answers.
Listen for God's voice in the quiet of your prayers.
Pray using your own prayers or one of those which have been prepared below.
Hymn: Singing the Faith 409 - "Let us build a house"
Let us pray together.
Twitter Prayer
Allow us to hear your voice, help us today, to be atuned to your will like a mother to the breathing of her sleeping child. Amen
Facebook Prayer
Allow us to hear your voice, help us be atuned to your will like a mother to the breathing of her sleeping child.
Remind us that your first command was to love you with all of our heart and soul and might. That the fuel that feeds our Mission is our prayers, worship and praise, as your people, meeting together in your presence. Amen
Full Prayer
Lord, we are full of plans and hopes of how we will glorify your name through the Mission of your fellowship here in St Albans. At the same time we are also full of practical worries, concerns and fears. Will what we do be right, will it be effective, will we be able to find those willing to serve, will it be pleasing in your sight?
So often we are guilty of planning and talking and pondering and reviewing and thinking and planning again without ever getting to the doing!
Loving one, you are mighty and faithful. Let your righteousness and justice, steadfast love and faithfulness go before us.
Allow us to hear your voice in the depth of our souls. Help us be atuned to your will like a mother to the breathing of her sleeping child.
Help us to see beyond personal ideas which divide us to your visions which unite us.
Help us to trust that you will provide, that failure is an act of growing as much as success, that with our hearts atuned to you anything we do will be acceptable in your sight.
Help us to walk in the light of your face and to praise and worship your name all the day.
Remind us that your first command was to love you with all of our heart and soul and might. That the fuel that feeds our Mission is our prayers, worship and praise as your people, meeting together in your presence.
In this time of Lent, remind us of your covenant with David, how you built your throne for us all, not with sweet Cedar but with the rough wood of the cross. In Christ's Name, Amen.