Ever Have A Sit Down?

“And David the king came and sat before the LORD, and said, Who am I, O LORD God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?” (1Ch 17:16 AV)

Sitting is not the normal position someone would take while in a state of prayer.  Prostrate with one’s face to the ground would be the more common manner in which to address the Creator of all.  Here, David sits.  The context is when the LORD reveals through Nathan the prophet of God’s pending blessings on David and his house.  David is overwhelmed by God’s grace.  He then goes into a season of prayer while sitting.  Not standing.  Not on his knees.  Not with his face to the ground.  Rather, he is sitting.  “Why make a big deal out of this preacher”, you might ask.  Because this is not normal.  This is an exception to the norm.  And, through the years, I have learned when the Spirit shows you an exception, or something out of the ordinary, one sit ‘sit up and take notice’.  Pun intended.

The Hebrew word for ‘…sat…’ here is interesting.  It means to dwell, remain, sit, or abide.  Another dictionary says, “A primitive root; properly to sit down (specifically as judge, in ambush, in quiet); by implication to dwell, to remain; causatively to settle, to marry.” (Strong’s)   Putting this all together, it appears by using this word, it implies David came to the LORD is a spirit which expressed the attitude of a conversation with no time constraints or pressing agenda.  We might us the phrase, “he sat down for a chat”.   This is not to mean it was disrespectful.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  In this sense, David’s conversation with the LORD was a time of no requests.  A time of no pleading.  It was a time of intimate conversation.  Mostly of gratitude.  He sat down for a spell and conversed with God absent of all pretense.  There was no confession of sin because there was no need for it.  David was moved very deeply at the LORD’s reaction to his desire.  David wanted to build a temple to the LORD out of pure love and respect for Him.  The LORD’s response was no.  In fact, because of David’s heart, the LORD decides to grant him the covenant of successor as well as a palace worthy of a king.  Remarkable, to say the least.  So, David has a sit-down.  He sits for a spell and just pours out his heart to the LORD over how gracious God has been to him.

The question is, when is the last time you had a sit down with the LORD?  We often work ourselves up to a divine tither trying to generate a humble heart as we assault the throne of God thinking the humbling of our hearts will impress the LORD.  All the LORD really wants is truth in the inward parts.  He is not interested in a show.  Not that kneeling or flat on the ground isn’t wrong to do.  They are wonderful.  But they have to be absent of all pretense.  When is the last time you sat with the LORD?  Some of my most memorable times of prayer were sit-downs.  Usually in one of my private places.  Along the shore of a lake, river, or pond does it for me.  There have been several times along the shores of Lake Michigan, Seneca Lake, Lake Ontario, the Tennessee, the Cumberland River, or many little fishing Ponds when I had a sit down with my Father.  Nothing really on the agenda.  Whatever the Spirit brought to the heart is what we discussed.  It reminds me of the few times I sat with my dad at the edge of Lake Remmick or his little half-acre pond, learning how to fish and talking about what a young lad talks about.  These are times of intimacy.  These are times when the presence of the one you admire and love is really all you need.  When is the last time you took time and had a sit down with the LORD?  He is waiting.