FAITHFUL MEN

Tuesday evening I had the honor of joining men from the Ephrata Area Grace Brethren Church in studying the Bible. Their guidebook helped us examine 1 Chronicles 28, where the writer chronicles David's preparation for building the Temple. Barry led us in the study, designed to help us learn how to be truly successful men.

But God said to me, "You shall not build a house for My name because you are a man of war and have shed blood." (v.3)

David really wanted to build the Temple, having collected and stored diligently and systematically for years all of the materials needed to build a worship center worthy of the LORD, his God. But his God said, "No."

God's reason for not allowing David to build the Temple had nothing to do with David's "big," or "little," sins. It had nothing to do with David's adultery or murder or taking a census of the fighting men. What a wonderful lesson of God's awesome forgiveness and wise sovereignty.

God's reason for not allowing David to build the Temple was simply that it was not David's role in God's great, sovereign and wise plan. David had been the warrior; his son, Solomon, would be the builder. And David had done his part:
I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will.
For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his father, (Acts 13:22&36)

Each of us who are forgiven and redeemed disciples of Christ are playing our part in God's great story of redemption; forgiven and redeemed men and women, bringing and living forgiveness and redemption to all the nations of the earth. This happened in ancient Israel, and still does in present day Ephrata, PA.

Pray for Dwight, AJ and others in the NAF church in Ephrata PA, led by Kim Robertson.