Recently we moved away from our family home where we raised our four children. This was the home where I hoped to welcome grandbabies crawling on the floor and tinkering on the piano keys where the sounds of their parents’ former melodies still linger. I hoped to read Goodnight Moon and others from our library when I snuggled them on my lap in the rocking chair where I nursed my babies.
We are in a different home now, one half the size but much newer. I wonder how our adult children will react when they walk through the front door that is different from the one that backdropped their first day of school photos every year?
New memories will be built in this house. Although I miss our dwelling place of twenty years, it was only a frame of stucco and wood that housed our family. Our family continues to live on, apart from every wall and detail that made our home.
God was not limited by the temple that David’s son Solomon was ordained to build. Before that commission, He lived from tent to tent and dwelling to dwelling (1Chronicles 17:5). God was not contained in the ark or the glorious details of the tabernacle His artisans designed and created.
God’s throne was not established by the priceless cedars that framed his temple but by the wooden timbers that built the cross. For it was the moment that Jesus, a Son of David, took on death and sin for us on the cross that He opened the door for His Spirit to live in us. We became His dwelling place.
We became His temple that frames His power, love, and glory and bears the image of His kingdom to others. When we abide and dwell in Him, His kingdom abides and dwells in us.
Let your name be confirmed and magnified forever in the saying, “The LORD of armies, the God of Israel, is over Israel.” May the house of your servant David be established before you.
—1 Chronicles 17:24
The framework of two timbers in the shape of a cross established the house of God on this earth. Through these timbers, the kingdom of God will reign forever, and through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus, His kingdom dwells within us.
This is God’s promise, His covenant (Romans 1:3).
The establishment of His house means we are His dwelling place. Unlike the presence of God in the ark moving from place to place, from tent to tent, from dwelling to dwelling as He did throughout the Old Testament, the two timbers of the cross were what was needed to establish Jesus alone as our dwelling place.
The word dwell is closely related to the idea of abiding. We abide by taking refuge and shelter in Him because of the timbers of the cross and the nails driven into His hands to house our pain. Our sorrow. Our sin.
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56 thoughts on "The Lord’s Covenant with David"
Thank you for the sharing. It is comforting that He deeply felt the pain of those He encountered. He deeply feels our pain too. Thank you Jesus
Oh my so much! “Gods throne was not established by the priceless cedars of His temple, but the Timbers of the cross”. …which allows US to be his dwelling. So rich!
Dwell with us Lord
Todays Word spoke volumes to me. The two timber woods that Christ died for us, all in Gods plan. His presence is in us by choice, We can be His Temple by choice, we can be His by choice. I an doing a Hallelujah dance!!
I am learning to dwell and not wander
Father enable me to be more aware of Your Spirit in me. Let me live my purpose as Your image bearer in a more intentional way. I want to reflect Jesus to those around me. Please forgive me when I fall short. Amen
Loved this line from HRT today: But, as He so often does, the Lord put David’s human dreams on hold so He could give David more than he ever imagined.
Praying it works out the way it’s supposed too and that God opens this door for you! This has been a long time coming for you and you deserve it.
@Sarah D. Excited for your potential job opportunity! Praying
I think I forget that when Jesus died, he rose again, but dwelling in us! We literally have His Holy Spirit in us! This just hit different reading this tonight! Thankful for this study!
There is so much we can learn from this passage today:
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Thank you for this prayer today, Jennifer. I encountered a person who triggered my ptsd from a terrible work experience. It derailed my otherwise beautiful day with my son on the ski hill. When I read your prayer, I knew I needed to remember that God’s poet, strength , love and wisdom is inside us ALWAYS. I’m here, I’m now and I’m on! Thank you!!!
Amen! Jennifer Anapol, thank you for this prayer and reminder that God dwells inside each of us. Today your prayer spoke volumes to me. I had encountered someone who triggered my ptsd, and it derailed my otherwise amazing day on the ski hill with my wonderful son. Praying to walk in Gods power, strength, love and wisdom. I’m here, I’m now and I’m ok. Thank you.
Amen.
Such a great devotional I needed to read today. Our is good and his word is our forever home. Such a great reminder. Happy Thursday !
I pray and hope that I would feel God’s spirit inside of me more. I pray that I would live my life in the reality that God lives inside of me. ❤️ I pray I would walk in his power, strength, love and wisdom.
Our family has been moving so often in the past 10 years. With three young kids and the need for school, jobs, moving is really uprooting. The verse today that got my attention and spoke to me on a personal level was, “I will ordain a place for my people, and will plant them, they shall dwell in their place, and neither shall be moved no more (1 Chronicles 17:9), and the children of wickedness shall waste them no more”. What a merciful promise this is. Thank you Lord for being the promise keeper, and promise fulfiller.
@Searching: loved the wrestling thoughts you shared, me too, sometimes I wrestle with my limitations but then on hind sight the Lord can catch us up in an instant with time. A quote from Smith Wiggleworth I read that set me completely free is, what man can do in 15 years, with the help of the Holy Spirit he can do it all in one year. Zoom zoom :)
@Rhonda J: praying for your leadership jitters to flow into a second nature. May you lead effortlessly. You can do this Rhonda.
@Kimberly Vohs: thank you so much for your response, I will try to implement your method with my kids.
@Sarah D: amazing favour of the recommendation letter. Wow. May the new position and hiring process be opened by our merciful Waymaker.
@Victoria E: continued healing both mental and physical, peace and joy for your family.
@Dorothy: loved the reminder about not to complain.
May the Lord show His faithfulness and tender mercies through you and your families dear sisters. May your lives be the testimonies of His power and His rich goodness.
Be blessed dear sisters.
Not the physical building but the spiritual one that houses the love.
It’s crazy to me that Nathan, the trusted man of God told David to go ahead and build a temple. He didn’t take a minute to ask God His thoughts but assumed that with the established pattern of God being with David and blessing what he was doing that this would be the same. It’s comforting for me to see the humanity (again) of the people God calls and uses to be His voice. And the God didn’t leave either of them to fail but sent a message right away to correct the course. He’s so kind!
The word I chose for the year is “abide”, I need to seriously work on it. Blessings dear sisters.
Beautiful devotional! “It was the moment that Jesus, a son of David, took on death & sin for us on the cross that He opened the door for His spirit to live in us. We become His dwelling place, we become His Temple that frames His power, love, glory, and bears image of His Kingdom to others. “ How beautiful and blessed we are!!!
What a “jaw-dropping,” AWE-INSPIRING, BUT GOD devotional Vina wrote!! I kept saying amen, Amen, AMEN!!! When I read, “God’s throne was not established by the priceless cedars that framed his temple but by the wooden timbers that built the cross.” I was blown away. I had never thought of it that way but I will from now on. WOW, WOW, WOW!!! Vina, you did such a beautiful job of envisioning God’s new tabernacle — “the wooden timber that built the cross.”
Next to 1 Chronicles 17:6 in my Bible, I wrote God never complains why should I? and Is the church the building or where God and Christ are, Matthew 18:20, confirms this?
Thank You Lord for including me in Your blessing. I consider it a “privilege” as Paul said (Romans 1:5) to be called a child of God and sister of Christ Jesus, Amen!!!!
Sisters be blessed and you will ALWAYS be a child of God and sister of Christ Jesus.
…. to house our pain. Thank YOU Jesus. Thank you, that I can approach you, always. And you’re always available for me even in my ugliness, sorrow and sin, I can approach YOU, And you accept me just as a little child. Happy Thursday sweet SRT sisters from a freezing, Sunny California of 33°. There’s even a freezing warning around here. Brr…. I’m so ready for spring and summer!!
I love how David wants to build God a house and God’s response is, “Nope, I am going to build you one.” What an awesome God we have. The world’s rulers tell us, “Build for me.” but our God says, “I will build for you.”
Thankful
By the love**** not but lol
I am so moved but the love between David and the Lord. He was a great and noble leader because of the loving foundation in which his throne was built on- the Lord. God blessed him and his house forever. What a faithful king, yet pales in comparison to King Jesus. He recognized that God was the true king.
Reminds me of that scene in the newest episode of the Chosen where Asaph reads David a psalm and they both acknowledge God as the true king.
@Sarah D- so glad to see the Lord working through your supervisor’s hands. May He continue to go before you and lead the way.
:) God bless you, Shes.
Oh my, what a beautiful devotion!! I wrote most of it down in my study book. We are His dwelling place..how beautiful. I don’t ever want to forget that. To remember that my body is Jesus temple. To take care of it. To show others Jesus love.
SEARCHING – My husband once asked if I wanted him to teach me time management skills. I laughed at him. I was 50 at the time and thought I couldn’t change. Well, I’m 61 now and I still lack good time management. I’m better, but….maybe I need to try harder!
Good morning everyone!
Will be waiting to hear back about the job I applied for yesterday, but my supervisor at my current job was very kind and reached out to someone he knows in the department I applied for, and he sent a letter of recommendation over for me (I hadn’t even asked)! Thankful for that and really praying this is a good position. My supervisor said he thought is sounds like a good fit for me, so that was encouraging. I have learned a lot at my current job, but with the schedule change plus other things, I really am hoping to move on soon. Praying that it would happen before the beginning of April, when the schedule changes. Thank you again for your prayers. I am still reading along the Bible Recap but I have been listening to the SRT Lent podcast and checking in on comments here. Have a good day everyone :)
First paragraph in my previous comment should have quotation marks bracketing it. Vina’s quote!
God’s throne was not established by the priceless cedars that framed his temple but by the wooden timbers that built the cross.
NOTE from the reading link under ‘explain verse’ – “In his letter to the Roman church, Paul lays out his argument for unifying Jews and non-Jews in Christ—and in the process, instructs his readers on how to restore their relationship with God. As Paul explains, we only find unity with God and with one another through God’s Son, Jesus. Christ represents the fulfillment of God’s covenant promises, going all the way back to Abraham. Paul proclaims that Christ is the very righteousness of God and the means for us sinners to become righteous—to be saved.”
It is so humbling to ponder the many times and ways God offers restoration and unity to me/us.
SEARCHING – I identify! <3
Jerry Bridges states in his nook, 'The Practice of Godliness', "A commitment is not a vow but a resolution – a determined purpose to live by God's Word as He applies it to our lives … We must decide that holiness is so important to God that it deserves priority attention in our lives."
TAYLOR and SARAH D. exciting times for you younguns'! :)
VINA MOGG – Outstanding devo as usual!
Continued prayers, precious ladies.
I have always felt the Holy Spirit in me, since I was a girl. I didn’t know the right name to call it, but even when I have ignored it and flat out disowned it I have felt it nonetheless. It’s only as I have gotten older that I have understood what and who I have always taken for granted. Thank you Lord for your mercy. Blessings to you ladies.
I agree, great devotional today and last couple of days! Learning of David’s faithfulness and dedication to God is so touching and powerful to me today! Lord, how I want to be like David! (And we know he still will mess up, and fall hard, BUT GOD…you know this, and will keep David close, and restore him…!!!) And of course the covenant made, and the foretelling of JESUS’ coming!!
Yesterday was good day, seeing how God is working in my pain group, and also through the jail ministry! Today I am off to small group where we are studying Elijah! It is a great study of the In-between, being still and letting God use that time to grow you. The wait. I know a lot of the She’s struggle with the somewhat mundane of the in between, but that is where God is drawing us to him, and preparing us for what’s ahead. God’s got such great things in your future, and he is getting you out of the old and comfortable to a place where you will glorify him. I am in the uncomfortable right now of being asked to “lead” a little piece of this study this morning. I literally stumble over my words and get so nervous, but I know God wants me to keep practicing to overcome this fear. I was asked to say the prayer THREE times yesterday….yes, God is growing me where I am nervous, and I am conquering!! Praise Jesus!
Thankful for God’s plan of redemption.
Thankful for His faithfulness today. There is no one like Him.
Amen
Wow, the devotionals the pst two days have been so incredibly powerful to me. Thank you to the SRT staff for all the work they put into creating devotionals with powerful content. We are blessed for it.
I’m so grateful for the Holy Spirit that dwells in me! I’ve felt His presence since I was saved. I have His promises and He will never leave me. Thank you Father for your faithfulness endures forever! ❤️
Thank you Jesus!! I am not worthy that you should dwell in me only say the word and my soul is healed.- this makes sense to me. I know God is in me I just feel unworthy and not enough. I know Jesus is though so He is who I cling to.
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What an incredible passage and devotional today! Praise God !
I was struck this morning by the faithfulness and mercy of God. He enters into. These covenant relationships knowing that we will fail him and be unfaithful. But instead of holding our weakness against us, He sent Jesus to fulfill our side of the covenant in our place. What a gracious God who takes on both sides of the covenant promise so that we can be in relationship with him!
David’s prayer of thanks is a great example for me! Thank you Lord for providing for your people and our families each and every day.
In my young adult group (where I am still the only one besides the leaders who attend lol) we were discussing God’s covenant with Abraham. We can see throughout history that God is about reconciliation and restoration. Even when the Israelites (and I) struggle to keep our promises, God does not. So thankful for His grace, mercy, and sacrifice that Jesus made so we could be HIS forever!
Lifting up all the prayer requests <3 @Sarah D I was praying for new job opportunities as well and thankfully the Lord provided. Praying with you that He will provide and lead you somewhere new soon!
This covenant is one of my favorite things in scripture. The beautiful way God connects with people and the foreshadowing of a forever kingdom. It’s beautiful the way Jesus is there from the very beginning, woven throughout the Old Testament and God is always pointing to his coming.
What a beautiful devotional today, so blessed to soak my heart in His word and know that He is our forever home
Lord may You abide in me. Amen.
In Your timing, Lord, You established David’s house. May I rest in Your plans for my life establishing what You will for Your glory in it.
Peace to your hearts today Sisters
Father fill me afresh with the Holy Pirit. I want Your presence. Amen in Jesus Name
Thankful that because of those two Timbers that make the cross and my acknowledgment of sin my heart is the dwelling place of God. Lord help me to bear your image to others as I abide in you.
Covenant – an agreement, says the dictionary entry online. But God’s covenant with us, through the salvation made available by Christ’s death and resurrection, is SO much more than an agreement. It is a forever promise that will NEVER be broken, hallelujah!
It hurts think about the agreements and promises I’ve broken, as well as the covenant of marriage to my 1st husband by filing for divorce. Although I know I’m forgiven, the divorce is still part of my history. Sitting here thinking of the other promises and agreements I’ve broken, and continue to break daily. My first thought is “but I don’t mean to!” and then the second thought is that the first thought was not true. I will be giving some thought today on letting my yes be yes, or not agreeing to certain things in the first place. One big area where I fail is being on time :( and that is all on me for poor time management. Lots of work to do and changes to make, with the Lord’s help.
Praying for:
MERCY – your mom, Austin and family reconciliation
SARAH D – job change
RHONDA J – chronic pain group (+ your pain and leader’s!) and jail ministry
OLIVIA WINTERS – for rest, energy, patience and encouragement
BRIELLE HEBERT – healing for your niece, comfort, strength and wisdom for sister, BIL and family ❤️
THERESA STORIE – happy to “meet” you!
DONNA WOLCOTT – your comment from yesterday gave me a good laugh this morning, keeping an oral list …. Maybe I could have done that 40 years ago but these days … nah … :)
CEE GEE ❤️
Because of His Blood, we can confess our sins and find forgiveness. When we are in pain and filled with sorrows, He understands, because the Bible says that He was a man of sorrows acquainted with grief. I heard a message that said He was intensely aware and could also deeply feel the pain of the people He encountered while on Earth. I never thought about the pain and sorrows He would feel each day. Who can fathom all He endured while living, not to mention on the Cross! .What an amazing, comforting blessing to be able to abide by taking refuge and shelter in Him because of the timbers of the cross and the nails driven in His hands in our sorrows, pain, sufferings, and even in our joy. What an amazing Savior that He is! Praying for you all!
Lord thank you for your love and shelter
What a beautiful picture. Two cedar posts formed a cross that led to the Holy Spirit, God, dwelling within His children. Thank you Jesus!
What an amazing connection! Our hearts are the dwelling place of God. Please,Lord, help us to abide and take shelter in you.