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Day 80 2 Samuel 7:1 And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies; 2 That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within curtains.” 3 And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee.” 4 And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying, 5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD, Shalt thou build me a house for me to dwell in? 6 ‘Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. 7 ‘In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spoke I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar? 8 ‘Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel: 9 “And I was with thee whithersoever thou went, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth. 10 “Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime, 11 “And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also, the LORD tells thee that he will make thee a house. 12 “And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 “He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 “I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: 15 “But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. 16 “And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee: thy throne shall be established forever.” 17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David. 18 Then went king David in, and sat before the LORD, and he said, “Who am I, O Lord GOD? And what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? 19 “And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord GOD; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant’s house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of man, O Lord GOD? 20 “And what can David say more unto thee? For thou, Lord GOD, know thy servant. 21 “For thy word’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to make thy servant know them. 22 “Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23 “And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for you great things and terrible, for thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemed to thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods? 24 “For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee forever: and thou, LORD, art become their God. 25 “And now, O LORD God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, establish it forever, and do as thou hast said. 26 “And let thy name be magnified forever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God over Israel: and let the house of thy servant David be established before thee. 27 “For thou, O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee a house: therefore, hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee. 28 “And now, O Lord GOD, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant: 29 Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue forever before thee: for thou, O Lord GOD, hast spoken it: and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed forever. Have you decided to do something, but with all your intentions, it didn’t happen the way you intended, but someone else received the honor of your intentions? David wanted to build a temple to God. He told Nathan the prophet his intentions. Nathan told him to go ahead with his plans. However, God had other plans. When Nathan told David God’s plans for him, his heart swelled with gratitude for the honor God bestowed on his descendants. God told David He would establish his throne forever and his son would build a house for God. As Christians, you don’t know God’s plans for you. Your heart might be in the right place, as David’s was, but God’s intentions for you are different, and what you intend, someone else will accomplish. Know that God’s plans always work for your good. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Psalm 139:17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee. God’s thoughts and ways are beyond understanding. You need to rest in His promise and He will bring about His will in your life. Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and returns not thither, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Let’s pray: Father, You know the end from the beginning. You know my heart. You know my thoughts and intentions. Establish Your will in my life. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Copyright © 31 August 2021 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay.