Offering is a way of giving thanks for God's grace, and it shows a heart that honours God as great. Yet, not all offerings are accepted by God.
1. David’s Heartfelt Desire
"One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple."
Psalms 27:4 NKJV
Building the temple was something David had always wanted to do for God. This came not only from his gratitude for God’s ever-present grace, but also a sincere response to God keeping the royal family in peace, the nation prosperous, and its people secure. Yet God, through the prophet, revealed that He had another plan.
2. David's Prayer of Thanksgiving
David's reverence and gratitude toward God was wholehearted. Building the temple was not out of compulsion, much less a personal bid for glory. When God refused his plan, he did not lose heart or grow resentful. He honoured God as great and faithfully kept to his place as a servant. Though he was a king, he remained humble.
This sincerity was fully revealed when the ark entered the city: he danced with joy before all, and though despised by his wife, he firmly declared his rejoicing in God, not counting it a shame at all.
3. A Servant After God's Own Heart
"And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’"
Acts 13:22 NKJV
God, who created all things, naturally knew David through and through. David received God's highest commendation, "a man after My own heart", which shows just how deeply he had come to know God's heart. It is as though God said to David, "You truly understand Me!"
"I will be his Father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, as I took it from him who was before you."
1 Chronicles 17:13 NKJV
We often search in this world for that feeling of "being understood". It is so refreshing to feel understood, and it can instantly light up our hearts. Now, God has promised to build a house for David, to establish his kingdom, and to accompany him with everlasting mercy. When we serve with a sincere heart, patiently waiting while holding absolute respect for God's arrangements, God will be satisfied with us, accept us and gladly count us as His friends!
"Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, Ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?"
Micah 6:7-8 NKJV
