Daily Food

The time our family spends together in the morning, after satisfying physical hunger, letting the Holy Spirit fill our spiritual hunger through the God's Word is a blessing to me time and time again.  We have to purpose to carve out this time, it doesn't naturally come or happen and in fact, for about 1 week, we had let it fall aside as we pursued worldly goals. 

This morning we returned our hearts and faces back to Him upon rising and were overwhelmed with His love.  We read from 2 Samuel 7, which tells the story of how David, after being established comfortably as king, sought to build the Ark a beautiful dwelling.  He asked Nathan, the prophet, who gave him the go ahead, but then after hearing from the Lord, came back to David and told him that God said no.  Then David responded by going off and praying to God and thanking Him.

After we read a passage, we always ask ourselves, "What do I see in this?  What can I learn about God, about others, about myself?  What is the Holy Spirit trying to teach me in this?"

The first thing that we noticed, is how cool it was that David - in the midst of "good times", living in a beautiful cedar palace, resting - still had God's pleasure as his focus.  He knew where his blessings were coming from and wanted, longed to do something in return for God to show him the depth of his love for God.  The Holy Spirit questioned me, "Charli, how often do you react like that?  When life is good, do you keep God first in your life, or do you start to take for granted that things will be good and let your quiet times slip by or slack off on seeking Him, knowing Him, pleasing Him?"  It was a challenge to our whole family to never stop seeking Him.

Then Dad pointed out how God responded just like a parent.  "That's okay....I don't need a grander temple right now..."  He saw how parents sacrifice for their kids to have things or do things, knowing that there will be a time in the future when things will change.

I was really struck by David's response to God's "No".  David didn't get offended that God turned down his idea sparked out of love.  How many times to I do that, with God or with those around me?  When I think I have this great plan to do something and how it stems from love, but people don't receive it or God seems to shut the door on it, I tend to respond in offense.  

We then turned to read out of 1 Chronicles 17 and I prefaced it by telling the kids that it's going to be a retelling of what we just read in Samuel.  So in our minds I wonder if we were all "checking out" and not expecting any new revelations, but then God does the unexpected and speaks right into each of our hearts.  I read it aloud until the magnitude of the words caught in my throat.

Read it aloud, let the words become your words, like I did this morning....

"Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?  And now, O God, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty!  You speak as though I were someone very great, O LORD God!  What more can I say to you about the way you have honored me?  You know what your servant is really like.  For the sake of your servant, O LORD, and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known.  O LORD, there is no one like you.  We have never even heard of another god like You!"

We sat there, with tears streaming down my face, identifying with the heart of David.  The LORD God knows Ted, Charli, Jake, Isaiah, Ben, Maddie, Nate.  He speaks of us as if we were very great.  He honors us by wanting to be in relationship with us.  He knows what each of us is REALLY like, deep in our hidden hearts.  Yet HE does everything in our lives to bring about His will.  There is no other god like HIM - not money, not possessions, not food, not relationships, not the good opinion of others.  There is no other god like the LORD God!