IS THIS NORMAL, LORD?
Opening Prayer
Father God, thank you for your love for me. In this new day, I seek to serve you in ways that are a testimony for you.
Read 2 SAMUEL 7:18-29
David’s Prayer
18 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said:
“Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 19 And as if this were not enough in your sight, Sovereign Lord, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant—and this decree, Sovereign Lord, is for a mere human![a]
20 “What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, Sovereign Lord. 21 For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant.
22 “How great you are, Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. 23 And who is like your people Israel—the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt?[b] 24 You have established your people Israel as your very own forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.
25 “And now, Lord God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, 26 so that your name will be great forever. Then people will say, ‘The Lord Almighty is God over Israel!’ And the house of your servant David will be established in your sight.
27 “Lord Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you.’ So your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. 28 Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. 29 Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, Sovereign Lord, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever.”
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 7:19 Or for the human race
- 2 Samuel 7:23 See Septuagint and 1 Chron. 17:21; Hebrew wonders for your land and before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt, from the nations and their gods.
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.
Meditate
Praise and thank God today for the blessings and gifts he provides. Change your focus on the internal (or material), to God’s eternal fragrance poured over us.
Think Further
Yesterday we heard the great I AM speaking with promise and lavishness over David. Today we have that leader broken before God, saying, ‘Who am I?’ (v 18). David is but a servant before God (v 20), something he always has been, but he is now bowed down by the enormity of God, not just for Israel but in his life and legacy. Man may say, ‘Nothing lasts forever’. God disagrees. David’s kingdom in God’s hand would be eternal (v 29). Our own kingdoms, business, and even families will not last forever, but Jesus will. The greatest privilege of our lives is asking God to show us where we can join him.1 This covenant is so lavish that David unsurprisingly questions: ‘Is this your usual way of dealing with man…?’ (v 19, NIV 1983 edition). It is undeserved love, amazing grace. Once more God has chosen the least: Saul from the smallest tribe, David the smallest son – and Nazareth the place from which nothing good could come.2 Repeatedly, we see God using the weak to shame the strong,3 thereby illuminating his greatness in them.
What a promise to us! The everlasting kingdom spans the generations, touching those of us who have been so far from the kingdom – yet God, for some utterly incredible reason, reaches down and gives us more than we could ever expect or appreciate. The challenge is to look afresh, to ‘See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!’4 I don’t deserve it, but I have received it. Or perhaps, over time, have we switched our eyes from Jesus to the world, its problems, worries, and ills?
Apply
Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face; let earthly worries grow dim, as his glory and beauty fill you, not just today but for evermore!5
Closing prayer
Gracious God, thank you for all of the promises in Scripture that you have already fulfilled. Teach me to remember your faithfulness as I face the challenges of today.
Last Updated on July 7, 2023 by kingstar
