“May you succeed in building the house of the Lord your God”

“. . .may the Lord be with you, and may you succeed in building the house of the Lord your God, as he said about you”

(1 Chr. 22:11 CSB17).

The words above were originally spoken by King David to his son Solomon. But as I read them this morning, I realized that they apply to each and everyone of us who, by God’s grace, has become a follower of Jesus Christ.

David was speaking to Solomon about the magnificent temple it would be his job to build. We are called by God to work together to build an even more glorious temple. The temple is where people experience God. Today, because of the new covenant established by the blood of Christ, the Holy Spirit dwells in each of us. You are a temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16)! While the Bible speaks of each of us being a temple of God, a place where God dwells in a special way, it also speaks of all of us together being God’s holy temple:

19 So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God's household,

 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.

 21 In him the whole building, being put together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

 22 In him you are also being built together for God's dwelling in the Spirit.

(Eph. 2:19-22 CSB17)

In other words, when we work to build up the church, we are doing the same job Solomon did: we are building a glorious temple, a place to experience God.

Solomon was chosen to be in charge of building the temple. Who is in charge of building the temple we are working on? None other than the King of Kings and Lord or Lords, our Savior Jesus Christ:

I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. (Matt. 16:18b CSB17)

So, our Lord is in charge, and each of us is called to serve Him in this work.  What do we need to succeed in this task? The same things Solomon needed. Back in 1 Chronicles 22, after praying for Solomon’s success, David continues to pray and speak about five things Solomon would need:

1. Insight

Solomon is famous for his wisdom. We need wisdom as we work together with others to reach people for Christ and to help each other grow in Christ. Praise God, He has promised to give us wisdom when we ask for it (James 1:5).

2. Obedience

The temple is God’s temple and it must be built God’s way. Therefore, obeying all that Jesus commands  is essential for building up His church (Matthew 28:20).

3. Strength

The workers in Solomon’s day needed physical strength as they worked with stone, bronze, and lumber to build the great temple. How much more we need spiritual strength to do the work Christ leads us in. Our strength comes from our relationship with God (Psalm 28:7, Ephesians 6:10).

4. Courage

David encouraged his son to be courageous. We all need courage for the work of building God’s spiritual temple, His church. Our work is opposed by fierce and ruthless enemies: the world, the devil, and our own flesh. Praise God, he gives us the courage we need to press with the task in this dark and evil world (John 16:33, 1 Corinthians 16:13).

5. God’s Provision

David gathered great provisions for the work Solomon would do. In the same way, God provides all we need as we work to build His church. One of the resources He prepares for us is other Christians. He provides all the people with all the right gifts and experiences to work together to build His glorious temple (Ephesians 4:11, 1 Corinthians 12:28).

Be Encouraged!

Like Solomon, God has called you to help build something glorious. The temple Solomon built would eventually be utterly destroyed. But the Church will last forever, shining in the kingdom of our God. As you think about this, hopefully the words David spoke to Solomon three thousand years ago will suddenly feel fresh and relevant to your life today:

¹¹ "Now, my son, may the Lord be with you, and may you succeed in building the house of the Lord your God, as he said about you.

 ¹² Above all, may the Lord give you insight and understanding when he puts you in charge of Israel so that you may keep the law of the Lord your God.

 ¹³ Then you will succeed if you carefully follow the statutes and ordinances the Lord commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Don't be afraid or discouraged.

 ¹⁴ "Notice I have taken great pains to provide for the house of the Lord-- 3,775 tons of gold, 37,750 tons of silver, and bronze and iron that can't be weighed because there is so much of it. I have also provided timber and stone, but you will need to add more to them.

 ¹⁵ You also have many workers: stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and people skilled in every kind of work

 ¹⁶ in gold, silver, bronze, and iron-- beyond number. Now begin the work, and may the Lord be with you."

 (1 Chr. 22:11-16 CSB17)

  Hebrews 13:16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others . . .