Week of Monday June 1 – June 7
Who Am I, Lord? – Man as Chaplain
Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?”
- 2 Samuel 7:18 ESV
One of the dangers of success is that it can slowly convince us that we deserve it. I've known men who rose through the ranks, earned decorations, led troops, built businesses, or achieved positions of influence. Some of the best leaders I've known all had one thing in common: they never forgot where they came from. They understood that none of us arrive where we are by our own strength alone. Along the way, there were mentors, opportunities, sacrifices by others, and, above all, the providential hand of God.
David understood that. The setting of this passage is remarkable. David was at the height of his reign. His kingdom was secure. The Ark of the Covenant had been brought to Jerusalem. From a human perspective, David had every reason to celebrate his accomplishments. Yet he had a grand desire to build a permanent house for God. It sounds like a noble plan, but God said, “No.”
Through the prophet Nathan, God informed David that he would not be the one to build the Temple. Instead, God turned the conversation around and reminded David of all He had already done. God took David from tending sheep to shepherding a nation. He delivered him from his enemies and established his kingdom. Then, God made an astonishing promise: David's dynasty would endure, ultimately leading to the coming of the Messiah.
How did David respond to God’s “No”? Not with a disappointed sense of FOMO (“Fear Of Missing Out”). Not with frustration or self-pity. Instead, David went before the Lord and asked, "Who am I?" Those may be some of the most important words a man can speak. David recognized that every blessing in his life was an act of God's grace. He wasn't king because he had earned it. He wasn't blessed because he deserved it. Everything he had was a gift from God.
That's a perspective we desperately need to cultivate today and pass on to those we love and lead. Our self-obsessed culture constantly encourages us to celebrate ourselves, promote ourselves, and take credit for our accomplishments. Yet the closer a man walks with God, the more aware he becomes of how much he has received from God’s gracious hand and how little he truly deserves. Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking rightly about yourself before God.
David's humility also enabled him to trust God's plans above his own. Building the Temple was a good idea, but it wasn't God's assignment for him. David could have pushed ahead and insisted on his own way. Instead, he rested in God's wisdom and celebrated God's greater purposes.
Many men struggle with that. We have plans for our careers, our families, and our futures. Sometimes God blesses those plans. Other times, He redirects them. The question is not whether our plans succeed. The question is whether we trust the God who is writing the story.
David did exactly that. As he sat before the Lord, he realized that God's plans were bigger than his own ambitions. God was not merely building a Temple. He was establishing a kingdom that would ultimately bring forth a greater Son of David, even Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. David trusted God’s better plan.
It should be a great encouragement to know that the same God who was at work in David's life is at work in ours. We may not always understand His timing or His decisions, but we can trust His character. His plans are always greater than ours because His perspective is eternal and motivated by His love for us.
Men, perhaps the best response to God's blessings is the same one David offered thousands of years ago: “Who am I, O Lord God, that you have brought me thus far?” A man who remembers the answer to that question will walk in humility, gratitude, and trust for the rest of his life. My prayer is that we will lead family and friends to walk that way as well.
Who Am I, Lord? – Man as Chaplain
Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?”
- 2 Samuel 7:18 ESV
One of the dangers of success is that it can slowly convince us that we deserve it. I've known men who rose through the ranks, earned decorations, led troops, built businesses, or achieved positions of influence. Some of the best leaders I've known all had one thing in common: they never forgot where they came from. They understood that none of us arrive where we are by our own strength alone. Along the way, there were mentors, opportunities, sacrifices by others, and, above all, the providential hand of God.
David understood that. The setting of this passage is remarkable. David was at the height of his reign. His kingdom was secure. The Ark of the Covenant had been brought to Jerusalem. From a human perspective, David had every reason to celebrate his accomplishments. Yet he had a grand desire to build a permanent house for God. It sounds like a noble plan, but God said, “No.”
Through the prophet Nathan, God informed David that he would not be the one to build the Temple. Instead, God turned the conversation around and reminded David of all He had already done. God took David from tending sheep to shepherding a nation. He delivered him from his enemies and established his kingdom. Then, God made an astonishing promise: David's dynasty would endure, ultimately leading to the coming of the Messiah.
How did David respond to God’s “No”? Not with a disappointed sense of FOMO (“Fear Of Missing Out”). Not with frustration or self-pity. Instead, David went before the Lord and asked, "Who am I?" Those may be some of the most important words a man can speak. David recognized that every blessing in his life was an act of God's grace. He wasn't king because he had earned it. He wasn't blessed because he deserved it. Everything he had was a gift from God.
That's a perspective we desperately need to cultivate today and pass on to those we love and lead. Our self-obsessed culture constantly encourages us to celebrate ourselves, promote ourselves, and take credit for our accomplishments. Yet the closer a man walks with God, the more aware he becomes of how much he has received from God’s gracious hand and how little he truly deserves. Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking rightly about yourself before God.
David's humility also enabled him to trust God's plans above his own. Building the Temple was a good idea, but it wasn't God's assignment for him. David could have pushed ahead and insisted on his own way. Instead, he rested in God's wisdom and celebrated God's greater purposes.
Many men struggle with that. We have plans for our careers, our families, and our futures. Sometimes God blesses those plans. Other times, He redirects them. The question is not whether our plans succeed. The question is whether we trust the God who is writing the story.
David did exactly that. As he sat before the Lord, he realized that God's plans were bigger than his own ambitions. God was not merely building a Temple. He was establishing a kingdom that would ultimately bring forth a greater Son of David, even Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. David trusted God’s better plan.
It should be a great encouragement to know that the same God who was at work in David's life is at work in ours. We may not always understand His timing or His decisions, but we can trust His character. His plans are always greater than ours because His perspective is eternal and motivated by His love for us.
Men, perhaps the best response to God's blessings is the same one David offered thousands of years ago: “Who am I, O Lord God, that you have brought me thus far?” A man who remembers the answer to that question will walk in humility, gratitude, and trust for the rest of his life. My prayer is that we will lead family and friends to walk that way as well.
- When you look back over your life, do you primarily see your accomplishments or God's faithfulness? Can you recall a time when God redirected one of your plans for His better plan? How did you respond?
- How would your attitude and priorities change if you regularly paused to ask, “Who am I, O Lord God, that you have brought me thus far?” How are you communicating that attitude of humility and gratitude to your family as their spiritual leader?
- Pray and ask God to instill in you the kind of humility and gratitude that graced the heart of King David, so that these qualities can define your life and the lives of those in your charge.