2 Samuel 7:1-3 Before long, the king made himself at home and God gave him peace from all his enemies. Then one day King David said to Nathan the prophet, “Look at this: Here I am, comfortable in a luxurious house of cedar, and the Chest of God sits in a plain tent.” Nathan told the king, “Whatever is on your heart, go and do it. God is with you.”

David had finally “arrived.” For years he had been running through deserts, holes and caves to stay alive and escape Saul’s dirty plans to kill him. He took Jerusalem, and finally the ark of God arrived there too.

Now he was sitting here peacefully on the porch, because God was even keeping his enemies away. And then he remembered that while he was sitting so peacefully in his lovely palace with all its beauty, the ark of God was still in a tent. That wasn’t right.

The prophet Nathan heard about it and as if he was putting a stamp of approval on David’s dream, he told David that he could make his dream come true. And he didn’t even have to do it on his own. God would help him with it.

But reading the next verse, we see that God was saying that David wasn’t going to build a temple for Him. On the contrary, God was going to build David a “house”. Not a house of stone and wood, but a royal house of descendants. Ultimately, it was David’s clever son, Solomon, who would build the temple.

David wanted to build a house for God, but God first pulled back the curtain of grace. He reminded David that He had taken him from herding sheep and made him the leader of His people. God had been with him everywhere and had removed his enemies before him. David wanted to do something for God, but God first reminded him of all He had already done for David.

When the war died down and the palace became comfortable, David’s heart showed Who he really loved. David did not use his rest just to enjoy himself; his rest reminded him of God’s glory. Here in this time of rest, David did not look for what else he could get, but out of gratitude he wanted to do something for God.

And then God surprised David. He wanted to give him descendants and a house that would amaze everyone.

That’s what happens in an intimate relationship with God. So, let’s do things for God even while we’re resting, not to get anything out of it, but out of gratitude. We can leave the rest in God’s hands.

Prayer
Father, I pray to You now out of gratitude, not to receive, for I already have enough. I pray not to get anything, but to honour You for all Your generosity. Thank You …

Questions
Is there anything I do out of gratitude to God, or do I mostly do things because I expect something from Him?
What has God already saved me from, and how do I show my gratitude for it today?
Is my greatest dream my own comfort, or God’s glory?

Do this now
Today, make a list of three things for which you are truly grateful to God.
Then ask Him: “Lord, what can I do to show gratitude to You?”
Then do something practical today, such as encouraging someone, helping someone without expecting anything in return, giving something away, or doing something good without expecting anything in return.