KEY SCRIPTURE: 1 Chronicles 22:1-5
Then David said, This is the house of the Lord God, and this is the altar of the burnt offering for Israel. And David commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God. And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates, and for the joinings; and brass in abundance without weight;Also cedar trees in abundance: for the Zidonians and they of Tyre brought much cedar wood to David. And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the Lord must be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.
RELEVANCE I'm sitting in the Kidney Outpatients room on the hospital's first floor.
I'm two hours early for my appointment, but parking on the premises is impossible if I arrive any later. So I grab a hot coffee, make myself comfortable on one of the vinyl chairs provided, and read my Bible and type.
While musing over our key scripture, which sees King David setting himself up as Supply Manager for the building of God's Temple, I went on a journey in my mind.
David's son Solomon was still too young to understand the magnificence of detail required for the Lord's home. David taught him theoretically and practically as Solomon would eventually become the Lord's Project Manager for construction. Of course, nobody can build a house for the Lord when the entire earth is His footstool. (Isaiah 61:1) But David desired to create a permanent worship centre— a place of rest— to replace the portable Tabernacle.
I have worked in both procurement and project management and understand the required detail and the amount of work involved in ensuring the parts list is specific, complete and on schedule.
As I read of David's undertaking, my mind returned to some of the people who delivered material for my building—who spoke into my life long before any actual construction took place: a thought, a word, a sentence or story, a testimony, a character in a book or line in a movie. Many comments from unlikely places can spur us on in Kingdom building or avert error. As I write, I am rolling people's faces through my mind with a smile, most of them unaware of the impression they left.
Thankfully, I can recollect religious instruction in primary school, where a local mum would seed or water our young, fertile minds with stories of Jesus' love, healings and whipping the bad guys out of the Temple. Of course, the story of Samson was the best.
As an 18-year-old, I recall sitting cross-legged on Friday night youth meetings at a Church in Niddrie with a patient pastor leading the Christian hippy service. It was in the early 70s during the Jesus revolution period. Most of us had long hair and beads, some played guitars and bongos, and everything was cool, man! Years later, I realised how much I took from those sessions to build love into my life.
When in my 20s, a casual friend, a non-christian, made a cautioning remark to me as a bunch of us prepared to go out for the night. I'm 68 in a fortnight and still remember the line. He did not mean those words to linger long, yet that phrase became echoing words of wisdom branded on my brain, helping me often in my spiritual journey.
At 36 years old, while in prison, a friend visited me for the express purpose of giving me comfort through a scripture. He had a specific passage the Lord put on his heart, and had no idea how cherished that would become to me as I got older. It helps me in times when Satan tries to drag me down. How amazing; a half-hour chat over a coffee in a prison becomes a spiritually guiding testament used throughout a lifetime.
I was fortunate to have been raised in a family who worked for the next generation, like David, making proper material available for those who would take up the Cross and follow Jesus. And I am trying in my little way to do the same. I think the Lord expects that of me.
What sort of impression do you leave on others? Are your conversations used as worthy material in someone's spiritual building? Are your comments up to that standard? Or are they discarded offcuts? If they have been offcuts thrown on the scrap heap, you can change that and supply some beautiful words of encouragement. They might help someone like me!
Anyhow, my appointment is here, so I'd better run. I've had an enjoyable morning reflecting on the privilege of receiving such deposits into my life. How rich!
Enjoy the day. Niv
PRAYER Dear Lord, you have increased my riches beyond belief as I look back over the memories of others' input into my life. Thank you so much for the blessings of positive comments and warnings—the guidance I needed to keep my paths straight.
Photo by Brett Jordan