Living with awareness had enriched his life.”
–Louis L’Amour (Flint)
“For God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment.”
–1 Peter 2:19 (NLT)
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Frustrations…do you ever find them in your life? It is important that we remember that God is there–He is with us every step of the journey. Martin Luther said, “Our life is a beginning and a progress, not a consummation.” Even if there is one great event in your life, it is only a part, not the whole. We see in the first part of Psalm 132 a remembrance of the suffering of David when the ark was taken by the Philistines and David promising the Lord a royal house.
1 — LORD, remember David and all his afflictions;
2 — How he swore to the LORD, and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:
3 — “Surely I will not go into the chamber of my house, or go up to the comfort of my bed;
4 — I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids,
5 — Until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 — Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah; we found it in the fields of the woods.
7 — Let us go into His tabernacle; let us worship at His footstool.
8 — Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength.
9 — Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let Your saints shout for joy. (NKJV)
David had a dream, one that was in his mind constantly. To build a house for the Lord. George Wood draws our attention to the fact that of all that David had to endure. He is a “model for those who have been spiritually or emotionally bloodied and bandaged.” He continues, “Hardships. A lifetime of adversity summarized in two syllables.” Then of the life of David and all that he went through; the ups and downs, the successes and failures. One of the things that enabled David to endure was his dream–the dream of building a house for the Lord.
We know that this did not happen. It was David’s son, Solomon who built the temple. David never witnessed the fulfillment of his dream. Dreams–that is almost a magical word. Some dreams are fleeting, some are fantasy. Some may be realized, but for one reason or another are never brought to completion. David had a “consuming passion to build the temple, a request denied by God.” (Steven Lawson) A couple of things to remember: one, make sure your dream is in the will of God and not contrary to His Word; and second, endure, most dreams are not fulfilled overnight. William J. Petersen states, “God wants you to have dreams and goals and ambitions, but don’t analyze your progress at every bend in the road. How God measures you and how you measure yourself may be two different things.”
But this house that he wanted to build for God, wasn’t that beyond comprehension? God is a spirit and does not dwell in houses or buildings made by man. Or does He? Haven’t you ever been in the house of God–the church, and felt His overwhelming presence? It is not the building, it is what it represents. “What truly counts is the spiritual reality of what happens inside that place–the purity of the pulpit, the fidelity of the ministries, and the sincerity of the hearts. This is what makes God’s house a true place of worship.” (Lawson)
Ah, but look at one more aspect. As you endure your suffering and afflictions remember that your body is now the temple of the Holy Spirit. Are you willing, are you trying to make it a dwelling place for Him? The journey upward is not an easy one, but the dream, the desire must always be there–to have a place where the Holy Spirit dwells. “Perhaps you’re very restless because you don’t see any progress or hint of resolution in the problems you’re dealing with. You will outlast your trouble if you refuse to give in to it; if you keep your eyes instead on what is most important–living in a way that pleases God.” (Wood)
We are a “royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9) therefore we are to be clothed with righteousness. Not our righteousness, oh no, but that of Jesus Christ. In our daily activities as a “priest” we are to be holy for we represent the house of the Spirit. We are to endure, taking up our cross daily, and with joy sing and shout as we continue upward and onward to glory.
“Lord Jesus Christ, the work is thine,
No ours, but thine alone;
And prospered by thy power divine
Can ne’er be overthrown.”
–German hymn, translated by Frank Houghton
——————————
Frustrations…do you ever find them in your life? It is important that we remember that God is there–He is with us every step of the journey. Martin Luther said, “Our life is a beginning and a progress, not a consummation.” Even if there is one great event in your life, it is only a part, not the whole. We see in the first part of Psalm 132 a remembrance of the suffering of David when the ark was taken by the Philistines and David promising the Lord a royal house.
1 — LORD, remember David and all his afflictions;
2 — How he swore to the LORD, and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:
3 — “Surely I will not go into the chamber of my house, or go up to the comfort of my bed;
4 — I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids,
5 — Until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 — Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah; we found it in the fields of the woods.
7 — Let us go into His tabernacle; let us worship at His footstool.
8 — Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength.
9 — Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let Your saints shout for joy. (NKJV)
David had a dream, one that was in his mind constantly. To build a house for the Lord. George Wood draws our attention to the fact that of all that David had to endure. He is a “model for those who have been spiritually or emotionally bloodied and bandaged.” He continues, “Hardships. A lifetime of adversity summarized in two syllables.” Then of the life of David and all that he went through; the ups and downs, the successes and failures. One of the things that enabled David to endure was his dream–the dream of building a house for the Lord.
We know that this did not happen. It was David’s son, Solomon who built the temple. David never witnessed the fulfillment of his dream. Dreams–that is almost a magical word. Some dreams are fleeting, some are fantasy. Some may be realized, but for one reason or another are never brought to completion. David had a “consuming passion to build the temple, a request denied by God.” (Steven Lawson) A couple of things to remember: one, make sure your dream is in the will of God and not contrary to His Word; and second, endure, most dreams are not fulfilled overnight. William J. Petersen states, “God wants you to have dreams and goals and ambitions, but don’t analyze your progress at every bend in the road. How God measures you and how you measure yourself may be two different things.”
But this house that he wanted to build for God, wasn’t that beyond comprehension? God is a spirit and does not dwell in houses or buildings made by man. Or does He? Haven’t you ever been in the house of God–the church, and felt His overwhelming presence? It is not the building, it is what it represents. “What truly counts is the spiritual reality of what happens inside that place–the purity of the pulpit, the fidelity of the ministries, and the sincerity of the hearts. This is what makes God’s house a true place of worship.” (Lawson)
Ah, but look at one more aspect. As you endure your suffering and afflictions remember that your body is now the temple of the Holy Spirit. Are you willing, are you trying to make it a dwelling place for Him? The journey upward is not an easy one, but the dream, the desire must always be there–to have a place where the Holy Spirit dwells. “Perhaps you’re very restless because you don’t see any progress or hint of resolution in the problems you’re dealing with. You will outlast your trouble if you refuse to give in to it; if you keep your eyes instead on what is most important–living in a way that pleases God.” (Wood)
We are a “royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9) therefore we are to be clothed with righteousness. Not our righteousness, oh no, but that of Jesus Christ. In our daily activities as a “priest” we are to be holy for we represent the house of the Spirit. We are to endure, taking up our cross daily, and with joy sing and shout as we continue upward and onward to glory.
“Lord Jesus Christ, the work is thine,
No ours, but thine alone;
And prospered by thy power divine
Can ne’er be overthrown.”
–German hymn, translated by Frank Houghton