Compulsory
Praise
Scripture
Reading: 2 Samuel 7:17-29
Today's
Treasure: "How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There
is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have
heard with our own ears" (2 Samuel 7:22, NIV).
Have
you experienced a time when you were so overwhelmed with both
the person of God and His actions in your life that you simply
had to praise Him? Imagine for a moment the emotions coursing
through King David when, after years of struggle, he found himself
seated on the throne in Jerusalem with rest from his enemies
all around. Then Nathan the prophet delivered the message that
God would bless not only David, but also his children. He must
have been overwhelmed. No wonder he "went in and sat before
the LORD" (2 Samuel 7:18) and poured out his heart. In a wonderful
and expressive portion of Scripture, 2 Samuel 7:18-29 records
David's response to the promises of God.
Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and
he said:
"Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family,
that you have brought me this far? And as if this were
not enough in your sight, Sovereign LORD, you have also
spoken about the future of the house of your servant.
Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign
LORD?" (2 Samuel 7:18-19, NIV)
What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Sovereign LORD. For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this
great thing and made it known to your servant. How
great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like
you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with
our own ears (2 Samuel 7:20-22, NIV).
Have
you ever responded like David? Have you experienced a
time when someone told you something you knew was an answer
from God, and you wanted to run as fast as you could and
sit before Him? Moments like those represent an indescribable
intimacy in your relationship with God. When those moments
occur, you can't even explain how you feel. You can only
go and sit before Him.
When
I am overwhelmed by something God has done for me or said to
me, I often find that I have to sit a moment and wait for my
heart to write words on my lips. Sometimes I weep for awhile
before I can begin to speak. David might have done the same
thing. So intimate were the words God spoke to him through
Nathan that he left the messenger's presence and went straight
to the One who sent the message.
"Who
am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have
brought me this far?" I have asked the same question more times
than I can count, but not for the reasons you might assume.
Yes, for reasons I will never understand, God has given me opportunities
for ministry in this season of my life, and I praise Him for
that. Yet the moments that most often move me are extremely
intimate and private. Because they are so personal, I will
probably never share in a testimony some of the most wonderful
things God has done for me. What David was feeling was not
about grand positions; it was about personal petitions. We
each have countless opportunities to be overwhelmed at the goodness
of God on our behalf.
Every
now and then we enjoy a moment void of doubt and full
of mystery, when we're overwhelmed with humility yet stunned
with possibility. Moments when we realize with every
one of our senses that God stands alone. "No one—no
mate, no child, no preacher, no teacher, no ruler, no
principality - no one is like You." Nothing is quite
like suddenly realizing that nothing is like Him.
Almighty
God, You stand alone and I praise you. Thank You for
the goodness and kindness You show man. Your love is
better than life. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Adapted
from A Heart Like His, by Beth Moore, pages 150-152.
Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999. Used
by permission.
