I’M SECURE
Opening Prayer
God, I overflow with love and thanks to You for Jesus. Help me to share the Good News.
Read 2 Samuel 7:1–17
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
After the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, 2 he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.”
3 Nathan replied to the king, “Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.”
4 But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:
5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. 7 Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’
8 “Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth. 10 And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning 11 and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.
“‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: 12 When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. 15 But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’”
17 Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8).Through Nathan the prophet God reminds David that he was there and active in David’s past—guiding, shaping and protecting him (8,9a). (And he has always been with his people even without a permanent house to live in, right?) What’s more, the Lord will be with David and will be active in his future—providing a home for his people, keeping them safe and making sure that David’s family continues to reign long after David has gone (10–16).
In this way David will see clearly who is in charge and in whose safe hands he, his family and the nation are living. So he can let go of his aspirations to build the Lord a huge, gleaming temple, and leave it to his son (2,12,13). It’s OK—it’s not all about him and about what he wants to do. It’s all about the Lord, his will and his timing (5–7).
Apply
Allow your security and confidence in the Lord himself to make you bold today about taking risks for the Gospel, and about letting go of what is more about you than about him.
Closing prayer
Thank You, God, for what You have done for me in Jesus, for what You are doing in my life now, and for what You have promised to do in the future.
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