Yesterday we ended 1 Chronicles talking about letting go. David had done everything he could do. He gathered the stones, prepared the people, guarded what God had entrusted to him and handed Solomon the blueprint and let go.
David's part was finished and now Solomon had to decide what he was going to do with everything his father had given him.
And do you know what Solomon did first?
He worshipped.
Before he built the temple and stepped fully into everything that had been prepared for him and before he started construction, Before everyone would know Solomon for his wisdom and the incredible temple he built, Solomon went to God.
And as a mother, that really means alot to me. Because isn't that what we want? We spend years trying to prepare our children, tea hing them, correcting them and praying over them. We drag them to church even when they don't want to go. We answer the questions and have the hard conversations.We try to model faith in front of them and sometimes we have to apologize when we don't model it very well.
We tell them what God has done in our lives. We try to give them every stone we know how to gather.
But eventually...we have to let go.(and that's not so easy)
There comes a point when they're standing there with the blueprint in their hands and Mama can't make the decisions anymore.
We can teach our children to pray But eventually, they have to pray in their own. We can teach them the Word But eventually, they have to open it up and study for themselves.
We can take them to church But eventually, they have to decide whether they're going to seek God when nobody is making them. And we can tell them about our own relationship with Jesus But eventually, they have to know Him for themselves.
And I can imagine there was something incredibly beautiful about the fact that after everything David had poured into Solomon, Solomon's first response as king was worship. Reading that made my heart full. David wasn't there making him do it, Solomon chose it for himself.
And that's one of the most beautiful moments of everything we've been reading. Yesterday we talked about how hard it can be to release what we've spent so much time preparing. And as a mother one of the biggest things I have had the joy of preparing is my children. And today I'm reminded why we have to. At some point, what we've taught has to become what they choose.
Then God comes to Solomon and tells him to ask for whatever you want me to give you. And Solomon asks for wisdom. Not riches or fame or power or even revenge on his enemies. He asked for wisdom.
He's pretty much saying, God, You've given me this responsibility, and I need You to help me carry it.
And Again As a mother, that's the prayer. Not that my children would just be successful or have the biggest house someday or make the most money. Not that everything would always be easy for them. But that when life puts something bigger than them in their hands they know where to go. That they seek God and ask Him for wisdom. That when I'm not standing beside them telling them what to do, they know how to find the One who does.That's what we're really preparing them for.
Then we move into chapter 2. And finally Solomon starts building. All those stones David gathered are about to have a purpose.
All that preparation wasn't wasted. All those years of David doing things he would never personally see completed mattered.
But Solomon doesn't build alone. He reaches out for help. He finds skilled people to help him. He understands that the assignment is bigger than what he can accomplish by himself. That's wisdom too.
Sometimes we think being called means we're supposed to know how to do everything.
But It doesn't. Sometimes wisdom is knowing who God has placed around you and allowing them to bring what you don't have. And I love what Solomon says about the temple. He understands that even the highest heavens cannot contain God.
In other words The building was never bigger than the Builder. That's another lesson I want to pass down. Build things, Dream big, Use your gifts, Step into what God has called you to do. But don't ever become so impressed with what you're building that you forget Who you're building it for.
Love Pastor Mandy
MandiesDandies / Ark of Hope
Add comment
Comments