Thurs.’s Devo - Establishing the Kingdom

Read: 1 Chronicles 16:37-18:17; Psalm 10:16-18; Provers 19:8-9 Obed-edom was a Levite who was privileged to have housed the Ark for several months. He got to serve as a gatekeeper regularly before the Ark along with 68 other Levites. Zadok the priest and other priests were stationed at the Tabernacle to have continual worship go up to the Lord. Others were to proclaim “his faithful love endures forever” continually accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments. After the celebration, the people returned to their homes along with David. One day David called in Nathan the prophet and told him his heart to build God a Temple. Nathan thought it was a good idea, but that night God sent him a dream. He had to go back to David and tell him that God had never desired to have a great “house” on the earth. God would establish David’s kingdom and provide a homeland for His people in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. God would raise up David’s descendants, one of his sons to build the Temple and confirm him as king over his house and his kingdom for all time. When Nathan told all this to David, he was humbled and thanked the Lord for honoring him to be the king of the nation. David went on to defeat all his enemies. He conquered the Philistines by conquering their royal city Gath. Then he conquered the land of Moab who became his subjects and paid him tribute. He destroyed King Hadadezer, king of Zobah. He conquered the Arameans when they came to help King Hadadezer and made them his subjects who paid him tribute. David brought all the spoils of these wars into the treasures and built things for the Temple that his son would one day build. The bronze he took from Hadadezer he used to make the huge bronze basin called the Sea. He also used it to build great pillars that would go in the Temple. The Edomites were captured and became David’s subjects also. David was victorious wherever he went. He surrounded himself with wise leaders. In Romans, God had given a list of the very wicked people then he said that if we judge them we are really judging ourselves became we do the same things. God is extremely long-suffering towards sin and it is a blessing he is like this. He gives man a long time to repent and turn to him. Instead of wanting to see the wicked perish and be punished, we should pray for their repentance. Judgment day is coming and everyone will be judged according to their deeds. The wicked will be punished and the righteous will be justified. The Gentiles will be responsible for not following God’s laws even though they have never heard them. God’s law is written in our hearts which we call our conscience. God has given them natural instincts to know what is right and what it wrong. The Jew will be judged according to their law because they have it and there is no excuse for them. God will judge our secret life, our thoughts and intentions. Paul admonished the Jewish teachers to live what they taught. Their hypocrisy was causing the Gentiles to blaspheme God. Lord, we are so grateful for your forgiveness and grace. Help us not to judge the wicked but recognize our own sins and repent. Forgive me for wanting to see the guilty punished; may they repent and receive forgiveness for this sins as I have been forgiven. We pray for a great outpouring of your Spirit upon our nation and our own hearts.