I was reading my Bible this morning, and several verses jumped out at me. I was struggling up some hilly reading terrain in 2 Samuel when I was amazed and somewhat perplexed. I was reading in Chapter 7 and got stopped by verse 7, verse 8 briefly and stopped full fledge by verses 18-22. I have listed the verses below so that you can see them and the comments that I have made as to how they impacted me.
2 Samuel 7:1-22
New American Standard Bible
7 Now it came about when the king lived in his house, and the Lord had given him rest on every side from all his enemies,
2 that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within tent curtains.” (I am like David in my thinking in that I think that GOD deserves my very best. Are you like that?)
3 Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you.”
4 But in the same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying,
5 “Go and say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Are you the one who should build Me a house to dwell in?
6 For I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt, even to this day; but I have been moving about in a tent, even in a tabernacle. (This one blew my mind because I never thought about GOD dwelling in a building, but we can see that HE was touched by David's wanting to build HIM a house.)
7 Wherever I have gone with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, which I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’”’
8 “Now therefore, thus you shall say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel. (GOD chose David from a youth.You see before I had always thought it an honor to serve GOD because HE found something for me to do because I wanted to work for HIM so badly. I never actually thought about the fact that HE picked me because HE had a big job for me to do! Me, Y'all, me! In all of the things that I have done for HIM, I looked at my work for HIM as being blessed by HIM because HE wanted me to succeed because I so wanted to work for HIM. Basically, that was the way I looked at it. But now... I'm wondering, "What does the LORD have planned for me; what did HE pick me expressly for and bless me to the extent that HE has for?" I know HE developed me for writing, teaching, and caring, but after I finished reading the scriptures that I listed for you above, my thinkery went into overdrive. I realized that the characteristics listed in the preceding sentence are all characteristics needed to be an effective preacher's wife. That means that HE had plans for me to be a preacher's wife from my youth! Say what?! Uh, uh I thought that these things happened because HE helped me because HE loved me. I never ever thought that HE had me picked to be a preacher's wife from the beginning! The beginning?!
9 I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like the names of the great men who are on the earth.
10 I will also appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, nor will the [b]wicked afflict them any more as formerly,
11 even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also declares to you that the Lord will make a house for you.
12 When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, 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 a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, (To me, this means that though I mess up, HE will correct me , but still be with me because HE chose me and is pleased with me.)
15 but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.
16 Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”’” (The plans that GOD had for David from the very beginning were going to come to fruition, period. So, that tells me that whatever it is that I go through, it is all working out according to the planbook that GOD made, enemies included. Who knows, they may be a headache to give me strength or to teach me to always lean on GOD, or to teach me that even if you are serving HIM, things can still go awry, and to just keep the faith.)
17 In accordance with all these words and all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.
18 Then David the king went in and sat before the Lord, and he said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far? (I am like David in that I think that GOD is so wonderful and I wonder at times, why does HE help me; I mean, I am a nobody. Then I think, "GOD's plan, that's why.)
19 And yet this was insignificant in Your eyes, O Lord God, for You have spoken also of the house of Your servant concerning the distant future. And this is the custom of man, O Lord God.
20 Again what more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, O Lord God!
21 For the sake of Your word, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness to let Your servant know.
22 For this reason You are great, O Lord God; for there is none like You, and there is no God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
From the Beginning
A preacher's wife from the beginning, and now my brain is in overdrive. I look at every new experience now as, "Oka-ay, this is supposed to teach me something...what?" I thought that I pretty much had my life and its experiences figured out, but not so. Now, I truly realize that the learning goes on as long as GOD wills. Even in these years of my life, I am ever learning. I have figured that I am learning things now so that I can put them in my next book. But, who knows, only GOD...
But I can tell you this. The lessons that I learn, I am going to learn them well, because who can know the mind of GOD? And yes, I am going to look at enemies differently, too. Wow!
Wear your mask and be safe.
Walking by faith,
Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones
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