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.’
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?” 2 Samuel 7:1-2, 4-5 (NIV)
David was concerned that he had been successful, yet the ark of God was being kept in a tent. He looked around him and felt that if he lived in a ‘house of cedar’, so should the ark. This all seemed reasonable and even Nathan the prophet agreed with him. However, God had other ideas. He could see the bigger picture and according to his plan, David was not to be the builder of the temple; this task was reserved for Solomon.
Before our family moved to Edinburgh, Scotland my wife and I were convinced God wanted us to move here, perhaps to fulfil some task in our lives. However, over time we came to realise that although God brought us to live in Edinburgh, his long-term plan involved us being in the right place so that our children (or even grandchildren) would be where he wanted them to be. We have our part to play and we have to be faithful in doing that.
It’s very easy to think of God’s leading purely in terms of your own direction. Pray that God will enable you to play your part and to accept that some things will be left for future generations to fulfil.
Every blessing
No Condemnation 