1 Chronicles 22 - 25

Click on the above Scripture to read today's Bible lesson...

Have you ever had a vision or dream to do something great FOR GOD? Have you ever wished you could do something to show your devotion, love, and appreciation to Him? Well, David has a vision, and the vision is bigger than himself - it's to build a monument to the Glory of God! But not just a monument, a Temple, where God can be worshiped continually 24 hours a day, and where praise for God continually rises up before His throne!

Here are a few thoughts from today's chapter readings...

1) Expect GREAT things from God; attempt GREAT things for God! I love that statement! However, it's not from me, it's a quote I heard years ago as a young preacher boy whose quotation is attributed to William Carey. He made this statement in his sermon to the Baptist Association meeting in Hampton, England on May 30, 1792. He said to motivate his colleagues to enter the missionary enterprise.

In today's chapter (22), we see King David sharing his great vision (vs.6), "I wanted to build a Temple to HONOR the name of the Lord my God." In order to see it come to pass, he spent years preparing the plans and accumulating a vast amount of resources to make it happen. However, David never did get to see the finished product. While he may have seen it in his mind, God told him that he couldn't build it due to the many men he had killed in the heat of battle. There was simply too much blood on his hands. So, God would allow his son, Solomon, to build it and finish it himself.

Even though David didn't have the opportunity to see the fulfillment of his dream, it happened anyway! What are you dreaming today? What are you actively doing right now to allow both faith and vision to blend together to expect GREAT things from God and attempt GREAT things for God? Take time to fast and pray and seek the Lord about what He'd like to accomplish through you! Only through quiet times can we usually hear God's voice. What is He saying to you?

2) Can you describe your life's mission statement? Before David died, he gave his middle-aged son, Solomon, a two-fold life mission statement (22:19):

a) Seek the Lord with all your heart!
b) Build the sanctuary of God!

Really, that's what all of us ought to be doing today! First, we ought to be seeking the Lord with all of our heart! Secondly, while there's no need to build a temple, we ought to build or do things that bring honor to name of God! The purpose of the building of the Temple was to bring HONOR to God throughout the world! Every one of us ought to be doing the same thing! We ought to be asking the question, "How can God use me to bring honor to His name throughout my world and, perhaps, the world?"

Try using this same mission statement for your life!

3) Music can help us memorize God's Word! Our memory can often play tricks on us, especially as we get older! So often, we forget where we left the car keys, or someone's name, or even where we left our glasses (that's me!). Maybe that's why memorizing God's Word is so difficult for many people.

As I read chapters 23-25 (and especially 25:1), David is creating an organization of ministers and musicians to offer continual praise before the Lord within the Temple. How cool is that? But, when we read 25:1, it says, " David and the army commanders then appointed men...to proclaim God's messages to the accompaniment of harps, lyres, and cymbals."

Isnt' that interesting? So often, it's easier to remember things when put to music! Right? We remember things so much better when music is applied to it. For example, I can still recite the Greek alphabet to this day (after 20 years) all because I learned it in bible college to the tune of "Yankee Doodle." So, if you want me to recite the Greek alphabet for you, you'll have to hear it to the tune of Yankee Doodle, otherwise I'm stuck!

Try memorizing some verses today! Try putting it to music and see what happens!

Have a great day in the Lord!