Wed.’s Devo - Building the Temple

Read: 2 Samuel 7:1-8:18; John 14:15-31; Psalm 119:33-48; Proverbs 15:33 Once David was settled in his new palace he began to want God to have a palace or temple himself. He told Nathan, his prophet his dream and Nathan told him to do it. Nathan answered out of his own head thinking that God would, of course, like a Temple. But, once Nathn left encouraging David to build a temple, God did speak to Nathan about building a Temple and sent him back to tell David His opinion on the matter. God had never lived in a Temple; the earth is the Lord’s Temple. God told David that He had taken David from the sheepfold to the Palace. He would be a father to David and establish his kingdom forever and make him famous. God would discipline him as a father to a son but he would never take the kingdom from him like he did to Saul. David was so humbled he went and prayed to the Lord and thanked him for all the things he had done for him and his family. He ended it with, “…when you grant a blessing…it is an eternal blessing.” David understood that God’s word is eternal and nothing can stop it from happening if he says it. David went on to defeat the Philistines by conquering Gath, their greatest royal city. He also destroyed the forces of Hadadezer. The Arameans had come to help Hadadezer but David defeated them and made them pay tribute to him. King Toi of Hamath also began to pay David tribute. David took all this tribute money and put it in the treasury of the Lord. David was going to use it to build God a temple. In John, Jesus was with his disciples giving them his last words. He was leaving them in body but not in spirit and he was sending them two helpers. The first was the Holy Spirit who would lead them into truth. The world couldn’t receive him because they weren’t looking for truth. The second gift he was leaving them was peace. This peace is a spirit. It would guard their minds and heart. So he told them not to be troubled or afraid. Jesus was leaving them to do what he came to do…to reveal the love of the Father to the world. We are building God a temple also only it is within us. We build that temple with faith, prayer, devotion, giving, and loving. Everything we do goes to building or destroying that temple. Lord thank you for the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the gift of peace. Thank you that we do not need to fear the future because you are in the future waiting for us and you have it all planned. May we continue to build your temple within our hearts.