1 Chronicles 29 records the account of King David preparing to hand over the building of the Temple to his son, Solomon. David’s heart’s desire was to build a house for the Lord but the Lord had not permitted him to because David had been a man of war and had shed much blood. God’s choice was Solomon to build the Temple. David and the people had prepared all the costly materials for the building (verses 1-9) of this vast project. They had great joy and rejoiced in the Lord – verse 9 “Then the people rejoiced, for they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord, and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.”
David then proceeds to give the Lord the full credit and glory for enabling himself and the people for the work:
1 Chron. 29:11 “Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory and the majesty: for all that is in heaven and earth is thine. Thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all.
12 Both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might, and in thine hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all.
14 But who am I, and what is my people that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort?…for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.”
David was bowled over and touched in his emotions…verse 14….”Who am I….?” David knew the depravity of his heart and past sins of lust and murder in the record of Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11 and 12), but he had also gone through conviction by the Lord and deep repentance for his past and had accessed, through humility and contrition, the amazing wonder of the forgiveness, mercy and grace of God.
Like David we, too, may say, “But who am I that God…..?” Indeed! There is only one heart….the word of God declares Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Who can know it?” Only God can change the depravity that a human heart can sink to. All mankind needs a Saviour to give us “a new heart.” Calvary makes it possible for each of us. I need to accept that if I have not committed certain sins, it is only the grace of God that has kept me from such. Apart from God’s grace, I could be capable of anything. If I do not believe that then I will prove it! Given another man’s circumstances, “baggage” and opportunities, I could be capable of anything without God’s mercy and grace.
David knew his past was forgiven but was still overwhelmed by the grace and favour of God on his life. “Who am I that God…?” the truth is that it is never about me, it is always about God! Not,…..Who am I?……but, who is a God like our God? It is all about Him – His exceeding greatness, power and glory to be displayed to the world.
1 Chronicles 29:17 Here David talks about his uprightness of heart and his willingness. “….As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things…..” We know of David’s history, but after deep repentance God changed his depraved heart and worked in his life to make him willing to do God’s will, instead of his own selfish interests. It is no different for us. Philippians 2:13 “It is God who works in you to will and to do of His good pleasure.”….Then I find God’s good pleasure becomes my good pleasure. A man cannot do the will of God miserably. For God to get the credit, He must do the work. He works with me to make me willing to do His will! It is not a sin to not want the will of God for my life, the sin is not to choose it!
When Jesus agonised in the Garden of Gethsemane over His imminent crucifixion, He did not want His Father’s will, but He chose it. He asked if it were possible for His Father to “Take this cup from Me,”….He did not want to go through with it!…..But He chose His Father’s will over His own, “Nevertheless, not what I will, but Your will,” Mark 14: 36.
God does not want to exclude me, but my choice can exclude me and I have to live in the consequences of my choice. When we make a choice in our unwillingness to allow the Lord to work His will in us, He does the work and He receives the credit, the glory. We find that God comes alongside of our choice and makes the impossible possible. When we bow our unwilling heart before Him in humility, His Holy Spirit begins to work and change our heart, then we are enabled by His strength to do His will. God does the “willing in the willing and the doing in the doing,”…..it is all His work and the credit is all His, thus He is glorified in our lives! It’s all about Him!
The act of humbling before the Lord, triggers the work of the Indwelling Christ in my life. He is the great Enabler!…..and I am overwhelmed, like David, in my emotions by the grace and mercy of God. When God receives the full credit in my life for all that is of Him, then the treasures of His kingdom are available to me for His divine purposes and glory. Nothing is withheld from the son who unconditionally surrenders himself to Almighty God in humility.
THE SPENDING POWER OF GOD ALMIGHTY IS GOVERNED BY THE CHOICE OF HIS CHILDREN!
Choice requires movement!
