God is always working out his purposes even when we're not aware of it. I love the phrase in this reading that says, "Solomon my son is young and inexperienced...." How many times in my life has the Lord called me to a task but at the time I sense his call, I'm still "young and inexperienced", not ready yet; there's work to be done in preparing me for the work God's calling me to do. We often hear people say that 'nothing is wasted'; God takes experiences, lessons learned, aspects of our lives that may, at the time, seem inconsequential and uses all these things to prepare us - to lay a foundation to be built upon as we walk out his purposes in our journeys of faith.
In the story of David and Solomon, how interesting that David - the one who asked to build the temple for his God - was actually the one God chose to make preparation for Solomon to carry out this auspicious task. Instead of feeling overlooked, David got to work accumulating the manpower and materials needed for his son, Solomon, to build the house for the Lord - the "exceedingly magnificent" house. David delighted in his role, preparing the way for Solomon.
Who are the "Davids" in our own lives? Who are the ones the Lord has used to lay the foundation for the work God has called us to do? Certainly, we can look to our parents and grandparents and the spiritual blessings passed on to us through their godly examples in our lives. If not our biological parents, perhaps our spiritual fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters in the faith, pastors, teachers, even acquaintances or strangers that have left a mark on our lives - all working together, piece by piece, in preparing us as God grows us and matures us until we are ready to take the next step God has called us to.
I remember MANY years ago, in my freshman year of college when our professors decided none of us knew how to write a decent thesis and decided we'd learn by repetition and practice ---- week after week after week. The drudgery, the copious amounts of coffee in the wee hours of the morning - we learned! Looking back, I'm thankful; I'm thankful for what I learned and what I now know to have resulted in a love of writing that I never expected. My writing is in my journal, on this blog, in the few Bible studies I've written; but it's a passion that I have and hope to see grow. Foundations were laid at my alma mater all those years ago. Nothing was wasted.
Am I patient in the waiting when I sense God preparing me for a new season or new direction in my life? Most of the time, I'm not. I usually feel stuck, frustrated, anxious to be out of a seemingly dry season. Reading the passage from Chronicles this morning, though, made me thankful for the work the Lord did for Solomon and touched that he allowed Solomon's father to so joyfully prepare the way for his son. The reading was a gentle reminder to me to be thankful for those doing the "prep work" on my behalf while God is faithfully growing me.
Solomon's father, David, was preparing the manpower and materials - the 'outer work' - for Solomon's holy calling while his heavenly Father was preparing the 'inner man' for that calling. Lord, give me the eyes to see you at work even when (especially when!) my 'immature' self is feeling overlooked.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28 ESV)
for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure
(Philippians 2:13 ESV)
