Love Finds You in Amana, Iowa
I love how each time I read the Bible I find something that I didn't notice before. It's often said that God has three answers to prayer: yes, no, and wait. The other night I read something about when God says no, and it gave me hope, and I wanted to share it with you.
In 2 Samuel 7, (you can read the whole story here) David has finally assumed the throne over Israel and Judah. Saul is dead, Ishbosheth is dead, and the tribe of Benjamin surrendered their rights to the throne. The country was beginning to experience its first period of peace since the time of the judges. David summoned the prophet Nathan because he had a great idea for worshiping the Lord; he wanted to build a Temple that would hold the Ark of the Covenant and become the place where all of Israel could worship God. David wanted to show his love and appreciation for God's protection during his time in the wilderness with this structure. Nathan at first said, "Great idea. God loves you, He'll support whatever you do." But when Nathan went back to his home, God appeared to him and gave him a very different message.
David rightly focused on the amazing second part of the message and immediately composed a beautiful psalm of praise to God for His love for David and his family. David didn't much mention the fact that God said "no" to him building the Temple, but I want us to consider this for a few moments. With the knowledge that we have as readers, we understand God's reasoning for not allowing David to build the Temple. David would lose much of his integrity by sleeping with Bathsheba and then killing her husband, and later for his census of Israel. So we, as readers, see God's words and think, "Yeah, that makes sense. He wasn't the man for the job, because while he was a man after God's heart, he committed some terrible sins."
But, David hadn't committed those sins yet! When David asked God if he could build this Temple, he was coming off a record of always asking God's advice before making major decisions, following the Law closely, and respecting God's anointed one, even at great personal cost. So God said "No" knowing what David would do.
The second thing I want you to think about is God's promise to David. Yes, he turned down a dream of David's heart, but what God offered instead was beyond David's imagining. This made me wonder if sometimes when God says "No" to me, if He is instead saying "yes" to something else, but I am so focused on the "No" that I miss it. David's response to God could have been very different if he had only been focused on the "No". He could have reacted with anger, disillusion, and bitterness.
His response of praise and joy is one I need to remember. The next time God says "No" I'm going to pay attention to the rest of the message and see if there is something I may be missing. How about you?
Thank you to Maryann Palumbo for providing me with a copy of this book for review!
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