1 Chronicles 28:4-10 “Yet the Lord, the God of Israel, has chosen me from among all my father’s family to be king over Israel forever. For he has chosen the tribe of Judah to rule, and from among the families of Judah he chose my father’s family. And from among my father’s sons the Lord was pleased to make me king over all Israel. And from among my sons – for the Lord has given me many – he chose Solomon to succeed me on the throne of Israel and to rule over the Lord’s kingdom. He said to me,’Your son Solomon will build my Temple and its courtyards, for I have chosen him as my son, and I will be his father. And if he continues to obey my commands and regulations as he does now, I will make his kingdom last forever.’ So now, with God as our witness, and in the sight of all Israel – the Lord’s assembly – I give you this charge. Be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God, so that you may continue to possess this good land and leave it to your children as a permanent inheritance. And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. So take this seriously. The Lord has chosen you to build a Temple as his sanctuary. Be strong, and do the work.”
Thus saith the Lord:
David’s heart was pure in this moment. He did know disappointment when I refused his request to build My temple. But, where did he go with that? To gratitude – to acknowledging what I had given him, to acknowledge all that I had entrusted to his family and to him specifically. To publicly declaring My faithfulness to him and his son Solomon. And to instructing My people in how to walk — in obedience to Me, in an intimate relationship with Me, in faithfulness to all My ways. Now, had David walked in My ways in all things during his lifetime? No. We know his sin. His adultery. His betrayal of Uriah the Hittite, his friend and mighty warrior in David’s army. His manipulations and ultimately the murder of Uriah in order to hide his sin with Bathsheba. David’s sins were great, grievous. But, I forgave him when he repented with a pure heart and allowed him to continue to represent Me, to lead My people. And so with all of my children, including you. Your sins are many. Some have ended and been buried in your past, and others continue in the present. You will never walk a perfect path; a sinless life is not for any of My children in their journeys on the earth. But, when you come to Me with a sincere, repentant heart – when you seek My forgiveness – you receive it. And it is erased from My memory. You are free to go forward, as David did. I can and will still use you mightily – sometimes the lessons learned from those sins and your repentance are powerful weapons in the spiritual battles you face. So, lift your head, Child. Do not hang it in sadness. I am not done with you by a long shot. This dark period will pass, and you will go forth using the lessons learned during this long time of battle you are in. Seek My guidance. Ask Me to continue to show you what I would have you learn in this, what I am wanting to form in your spirit with all the pain and humiliation I am allowing you to endure. Humble yourself, in everything, before Me and allow Me to lift you up. Remember, look up – not around. What others think of you is secondary to what I think. Seek My face, seek My approval, seek My advice, seek My guidance. Mine. Then those that know Me will see Me in you and that is all the approval you need from this world.
Amanuensis 