When David gets the news from God that God is covenanting with David to turn David’s monarchy into a dynasty, David responds to God in prayer. In 2 Samuel chapter 7, verse 18, we learn that David went in and sat before the Lord. Went where? Probably to the new special tent where the Ark of the Covenant was temporarily located in Jerusalem. That was where the presence of God resided.
I encourage you to pause reading this post and turn to 2 Samuel chapter 7, verses 18–29 and read David’s prayer.
How about that prayer!
David erupts with thankful joy to the Lord. God has been faithful. God has kept his promises. God has now entered covenant with David. We, too, can rejoice because we have the vantage point of God entering a new covenant with us through Jesus. We truly can be in relationship with God, both now and forever.
I encourage you to look back across the decades of your life, whether few or many, and consider how God has been faithful. Maybe you can point to a story long ago, or maybe it was this past week. How has God shown his faithfulness to his promises?
That faithfulness is evidence of the covenant relationship that we have with God.
In our society we are much more accustomed to contracts than we are to covenants. A contract says that one party pays another party to do something. There is very little, if any relationship. There are only contractual obligations. Covenant, however, involves relationship between the two parties, promises of their commitment to one another.
God views himself as in relationship with us through the terms of covenant. That means his faithfulness and promise back it up. The ramification: there is always hope with God. We see this very clearly in the life of David, after his sinned so horribly in the story of Bathsheba. He faced consequences, and yet God didn’t cancel him. God forgave David. We are never beyond hope when it comes to God.
Furthermore, it was not only in asking his people to make him a two-car garage that we see God’s humility. In the concept of covenant, we see God’s humility again. God, the Almighty creator of the universe, desires to be in close relationship with us. Amazing how loving, gracious and merciful he is.
No matter how you are feeling about God, or about yourself today, know that he is humble and kind and strongly desires to be close to you. He most often will not force himself on you, but he sure will reach out. Run to him.
Photo by Cytonn Photography on Unsplash
Engaging Scripture 