"Now when David lived in his house, David said to Nathan the prophet, “Behold, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent” (vs. 1). Doesn't building the temple of God seem like the right thing for a man of God like David to do? David had built himself a permanent home--a king's palace--and the ark of God still resided in a tent--the tabernacle. So David thought the right (righteous) thing to do was build a permanent home--a temple--for the ark of God. Nathan, the prophet of God, endorsed the plan because he knew David only wanted to do what was right (vs. 2). Unfortunately, neither David nor Nathan consulted God about the construction plan and God had a different plan in mind (vs 3-4). God's plan was not for David to build the temple, but for David's son (Solomon) to build the temple (vs. 11-12). We often try to serve God according to our own plans thinking that because we are "doing it for God" it must be the right thing to do (when really we are doing it for ourselves trying to be "righteous"). Instead, let us follow the pattern of ministry demonstrated by Jesus (and taught by Henry Blackaby in
Experiencing God). Let us see what God is doing and where God is working and join Him in that work:
"The Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise" (John 5:19). When we follow Jesus' model of ministry, then we will be doing the right things right because it will be according to God's plan and will!
