It was a very important day. The old king had called a special meeting of all his royal officials, palace staff, and diplomats. All the country’s VIPs were there. Speculation was probably rampant about whether the king himself would be well enough to address the delegates or if it would have to be a message delivered by an official on the king’s behalf.
King David was strong enough that important day to actually stand on his feet to address the delegates himself. The subject at hand was near and dear to the king’s heart. He had done many great exploits for the Lord over the years. He had an impressive list of credits and accomplishments during his reign. But there was one piece of unfinished business on his life-agenda.
Surpassing other accomplishments and aspirations, there was one more thing David deeply wanted to do before he died. He wanted to build an architecturally magnificent house for the Lord where His Name would be honoured.
Now the aging king is on his feet to make an announcement. But — he announced to the delegates it was not God’s will that he should build such a house. The House for the Lord would be built by his son, Solomon.
Despite the fact that David would not have the honour of building a house for the Lord, he did everything he could to prepare the way for its construction. He collected and stockpiled building materials required for the project, as well as precious metals such as silver and gold.
While all the officials and delegates were assembled in the King’s presence, the old King saw fit to dispense some Godly advice to the nation and to his son Solomon who would succeed him. Little did he realize that millennia later, we too would be on the receiving end of his sage and godly advice in 2020.
King David said:
Now therefore in the sight of all Israel the congregation of the LORD, and in the audience of our God, keep and seek for all the commandments of the LORD your God: that you may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance for your children after you forever. 1Chronicles 28:8
Keep and seek. Keep on observing all the commandments of the Lord that you are presently aware of and while you are keeping them, seek for any other commandments of the Lord that you may have overlooked up until now. Observe and keep what you already know and seek for what you don’t yet know. Pay close attention to everything God wants you to do if you want to prosper and thrive as a nation.
In New Testament language – if I want to prosper and thrive spiritually (not materially or physically), then I need to keep and seek for all of God’s instructions for my life as a believer. I need to keep and seek a deeper appreciation of the Lord Himself. When I read my Bible, my heart should be pulsating with a desire to not only keep and cling to what I have already discovered in the Scripture but a daily seeking of other things God wants me to learn and obey from His Word.
“Lord, give me the strength to keep all the ‘truths’ I have already discovered in Your Word but please show me other things in Your Word to embrace – even as I read today. I am thirsting to find additional aspects of truth in the Scripture to which I can humbly bow and obey and welcome into my life for Your sake.”
Walk carefully and closely with the Lord today,
Warmly in Christ
Peter Ramsay
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