“Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be before thee for ever: for thou blessest, O LORD, and [it shall be] blessed for ever.” (1Ch 17:27 AV)
That is the way to go through life! David is not suggesting that God refrains from chastening or trying. These things are part of the life of the saint. What David is saying is that overall, God does bless and His blessings tend to be absolute and forever. The substance of our blessings can change. But the character of God that bestows blessings does not. I have a wonderful wife and family. In eternity, there will be no marriage or giving in marriage. My children will no longer be under my mentorship. The home that I enjoy will be exchanged for a mansion. The substance of blessing may change, but the nature of God to bless does not. His desire to shower blessings upon those He loves does not change and remains eternal. If we cannot see the blessings of God, we need to change our prescription!
My wife and I like to watch a few comedians on Dry Bar. We like to watch the ones that are our age. They tend to relate how growing up in our generation differed from today. Watching one comedian, he was relating how different it was growing up in a large family. He had nine siblings. Christmas differed from most homes because funds were limited, we wondered whose year it was. A few of us got more expensive gifts or more gifts than others. Our parents tended to even it out over time. We never had much. At least as compared to other families. This man mentioned that when you have many siblings, you had to be creative and make up your own fun. Toys and activities didn’t come in a box or a handheld device. We had to use our imagination. We did some crazy things back then. Our bicycles tended to be whatever we could find on trash day, mix-and-match parts, and come up with something unique. We built our own out of what others discarded. You may feel sorry for someone like that. Don’t! I still remember taking our bicycles to the local sand lot to ride the dunes, jump moguls, and race. Our bicycles were not the fastest. But they were built like tanks. Heavy as a large vehicle, they could take the punishment a hard riding boy could dish out. We were proud of our bikes. They were never brand new out of the store. They were police auction bikes, junked bikes, or handed down from an older sibling. When they were ours, we were so proud. We felt blessed!
David did not have a perfect life. He never claimed to. He had his share of problems. He buried four of his sons. One of them he had killed in battle. He had a wife that turned on him and married his best friend. He had a father-in-law that hunted him like a fierce lion. David had many enemies. He felt resentment for those negatively affected by his leadership. David did not have a perfect life. But he did have a blessed life. Too many of us are striving for the perfect life. This will never be! David was on an emotional high. They had brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem, where it would rest for a long time. The tabernacle, followed by the temple, would be erected as a permanent resting place for the Ark. In doing so, David was making a statement that the people of God were in their land and they can now begin to grow as a nation. It was a time for celebration. One thing to remember, special days may open our eyes to how blessed we are, but reality does not change. We need to remember those times when more trying times come. God’s blessings do not change. They are for all of eternity. There would be the rebellion of Absalom. But God still blessed in protecting David and the nation. There would be David’s death. But God provided Solomon. God’s blessings are eternal. We need to remember that!
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