Everything is Possible with God
Illustration
Stories
Contents
“Everything is Possible with God” by Peter Andrew Smith
“Will All Generations Please Call Mary ‘Blessed!’” by David O. Bales
“From Pasture to Prince; Then a Problem and a Prophecy” by David O. Bales
Everything is Possible with God
by Peter Andre Smith
Luke 1:26-36
Jessie stared out the window at the lights on the building across from the church. She had waited so long for this day. She had dreamed, planned, and hoped for this time to arrive. She looked at the letter in her hand one more time and sighed. Now that the waiting was over, all she felt was worry and doubt.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Val said from behind her.
Jessie turned around. “I got a letter today.”
“So, was it about the fellowship you applied for? The one where you were hoping to go and learn all the ways to revitalize inner city ministries?” Val grinned from ear to ear. “Awesome! This is what you have been waiting for. Why do you look so out of it? Are you in shock?”
“I’m in shock but not for the reason you’re thinking.” Jessie handed her friend the letter. “Look at where they are asking me to go.”
Val scanned the letter. “I’ve never heard of that city. Is that on the coast? Where is that?”
“Worse. The fellowship is overseas. Away from my family, away from my friends, away from everything I know and love.” Jessie wiped at her cheek. “I hoped for this and prayed for this because I want to help people here in this city to come to Jesus. But why do I have to go overseas to a country I’ve never been to before where some of the people speak a different language to learn how to do that?”
“Jessie, did you look at that school?” Val looked up from her phone. “The faculty are names that even I’ve heard of and the courses are exactly what you have been looking for.”
“I know -- I looked.” Jessie sighed again. “The program has everything I could ever want but is it really what I’m supposed to do?”
Val frowned. “Why would God open this door if you’re not supposed to go through it?”
“What if I’m making the wrong choice?” Jessie threw up her hands. “What if this is a complete disaster and I flame out and come back a loser?”
Val smiled. “I’ll still be your friend.”
“I’m serious,” Jessie said. “You know what I mean.”
“I’m serious too. You’ve got this.”
“I’ve got this?” Jessie started to count on her fingers. “I’m terrified to fly. I’ve never been away from this city for more than a few weeks and now I’m expected to be gone for two full years. I have to learn another language. I’m not sure I can be away that long from Mom and Dad because heaven knows they’re not getting any younger. I’ll have to tell Pastor Paul that I can’t teach Sunday School anymore too. I don’t think I can do this.”
“Jessie, there will always be reasons not to do something. Always things you have never done and things you will miss.” Val looked at her oldest and dearest friend. “I think you’re forgetting something really important.”
Jessie tilted her head. “What’s that?”
“That you have a once in a lifetime opportunity to do something you feel that God is calling you to do in your life. You’ve got a chance to study and learn things you can’t here and then come back and help a renewal start in this city and church.”
“Val, that all sounds good but I don’t know if I can make that possible.”
Val took her hand. “Jessie, remember that with God nothing is impossible.”
“I’m still not sure.”
“Of course, you’re not sure, that’s what faith is about. This whole season is about people risking and stepping out in faith in the hope of being a part of what God is doing in the world. That’s why Mary said yes to the angel Gabriel, why Joseph stayed with Mary, why the shepherds left their flocks to see the baby Jesus, and why the wise men went searching. I can’t imagine any of them knew what would happen or were completely comfortable, but they knew God was with them so they went.” Val locked eyes with her. “Do you think God is with you and wants you to do this?”
Jessie thought for a moment. “Yes, I really do.”
“Then do it.”
Jessie smiled at her friend. “It is pretty exciting.”
“Absolutely! Let’s go tell Pastor Paul and spread some Christmas cheer.”
Jessie followed her best friend toward the church office. She was still afraid and unsure but as she went to tell everyone about her letter, she made a deliberate choice to trust in the grace and the love of God.
* * *
Will All Generations Please Call Mary ‘Blessed!’
by David O. Bales
Luke 1:46b-55
Gaylene didn’t know why she brought up the subject. She almost admitted to herself that she didn’t really know what she was talking about. Maybe it was because she’d found out six weeks before that she was pregnant for the first time. Probably it was also because with Christmas approaching her pastor on Sunday had warned his parishioners not to be carried away with devotion to Mary. He said, “She was Jesus’ mother. That’s all.” Gaylene had heard the same message downgrading Mary the year before: “Jesus taught that whoever did the will of God was his mother.”
Gaylene believed that sometimes ideas just come to us, but it could also be the leading of the Holy Spirit; although, at the moment she spoke first and thought up reasons for it afterwards: “You ever wonder that Catholics exalt Mary too highly?”
There it was, out, and a shock to Fiona, Gaylene’s oldest friend whom she knew was Roman Catholic. The two were sipping lattes at their usual Thursday morning get-together. First the lattes, then the shopping, or anything special they could think of. For more than twenty years they’d been friends, since sitting together on the kindergarten playground curb chatting and dropping gravel down the drainage grate while other children milled around them. They were both conversationalists from the womb and finding one another in kindergarten seemed like the most natural occurrence for which their parents were grateful. Both sets of parents had worried about their daughters in kindergarten, having learned how gentle their children’s spirits were. They feared that the stampede of other kindergarteners would traumatize them. The families were pleased when their daughters paired with another child of similar temperament, although Gaylene’s family was devoted Protestant and Fiona’s devoted Roman Catholic.
Fiona shifted her latte to the side so that there was less between her and Gaylene. During all their decades as friends, they’d taken their parents’ instruction and not brought up what was so obviously different about them: Protestant and Catholic. Fiona leaned forward and curled up the side of her mouth as she always did when they entered a serious discussion. She spoke slowly and with a flat tone, “What do you mean?”
Gaylene, having gotten herself—and thus also Fiona—into this religious predicament, raised a hand to wind hair around her index finger as she did while thinking deeply. She quickly had to find something to say. “Oh,” she drew it out, “the statues.” She was pleased that perhaps she’d pulled herself out of the relationship’s hole with a statement about something physical and not doctrinal. She even gave a sigh that maybe she’d aimed their thoughts away from anything too confrontational.
She’d known that while they were in school, Fiona went to CCD. Gaylene’s parents explained that CCD’s instruction hardly touched upon the Bible, just non-biblical, medieval traditions and it wasn’t anything comparable to Sunday School. Consequently, she didn’t expect that Fiona would have much to say. But she did.
“You ever repeat the angel Gabriel’s words?”
“Huh?”
“You think the angel Gabriel’s words are worth our saying, like ‘Hail full of grace the Lord is with you?’ We speak that along with Gabriel to Mary.” She looked pleased with herself, “That’s Bible stuff.”
Gaylene glanced around the coffee shop. Many days other friends entered to join her and Fiona. Right now, she would much prefer greeting someone else than greeting Mary with Gabriel. But no friendly faces appeared to help her sidetrack the conversation which she with deepest regret had gotten herself into. Finally, she squeezed out the words, “No, I don’t think I’ve ever said that. Hadn’t thought about it.”
“Have you honored Mary by saying, ‘Blessed are you among women?’”
Gaylene said blankly, “No.” She didn’t know exactly where that came from, but it sounded pretty Roman Catholic.
“What about the magnificent cat?”
Now Gaylene was not only embarrassed but confused. “What?”
Fiona’s chuckle gave Gaylene a little relief. “It’s what we kids called the Magnificat. That’s the Latin word for what Mary prayed with her cousin Elizabeth. You know about that?”
Gaylene was now slowly moving her latte back and forth on the table in front of her. She looked into the brown eyes of the person she’d known for decades and, although she was flustered, this was her friend. Gaylene reassured herself that she had no reason to fear Fiona and, if Fiona were mentioning things from the Bible, she’d better listen. “I’ve heard it, yes.”
“Millions of Catholics around the world,” Fiona said as she saw Gaylene relaxing, “recite that every day and while we do it, we remind ourselves Mary prayed that ‘from now on all generations will call me blessed.’”
Although Gaylene was ignorant of the gravity of Fiona’s statement, she felt surrounded by Fiona’s goodwill and appreciated that Fiona hadn’t sought to embarrass her or actually to argue with her. She acknowledged to herself that she was going to find out more about Mary. She said simply, “I’ll talk to my pastor about it,” Gaylene said.
Fiona slapped her hand down on Gaylene’s and said with half a smile and half a smirk, “Maybe he’ll want to talk to my priest.”
That made Gaylene laugh.
Fiona said, “Might be an interesting conversation to listen in on. What do you think?”
“Might be,” Gaylene said.
Preaching point: The need for Christians fully to honor Mary.
* * *
From Pasture to Prince; Then a Problem and a Prophecy
by David O. Bales
2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
King David was at the top of his game, a fairy tale rise to power: His political enemies dead; the Philistine villages dominated; owner of his nation’s capital city; dwelling in a grand palace; and now the religious heartbeat of his people—the portable shrine of the ark of the covenant—was paraded into Jerusalem. Like other kings, the next step in securing his kingdom would be to build a temple. It would be Yahweh’s temple, of course, yet constructed by David’s wealth; and, just as with “David’s City,” folk would call it “David’s Temple.” Phrases with such a nice ring. The temple would be a monument to David’s fame. All this was apparent to everyone, including Nathan, Yahweh’s prophet recently attached to the royal staff.
With an open ended statement, the king posed to Nathan his first assignment. The subject was put without many details, just the king saying, “See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.” What else need be stated? David’s career barreled through swift, bloody conquests to the marvel of a grand Jerusalem temple. David’s many victories proved Yahweh’s blessings, didn’t they? No one doubted that Yahweh rejected Saul and favored David. Who else in Israel possessed his own city? It was laughably—even joyously—obvious, especially to Nathan who replied, “Go, do all that you have in mind; for Yahweh is with you.”
Everyone who heard of David’s newest plan sided with Nathan. Doesn’t life always work this way? Kings get what they want, even when dealing with religious matters. Thus, without a hesitating breath all thoughts turn to the project ahead in Jerusalem. Fetch the Phoenician workmen again, appoint the foremen, set the quarrymen to work, sharpen the tools. Clear the site. String the lines to situate the walls. Soon the city will ring with the sound of beasts of burden, hammers and chisels, saws and shouts of command.
It became a restless night for Nathan, wrestling with his bed, covers wrapping and unwrapping around him. He bounced his deliberations back and forth, pros and cons. Aren’t prophets around to give kings religious permission to do whatever they want? Those prophets of Baal: They always agree with their leader. They’re hirelings, yes-men.
At first, he considered it a bad dream or some rotten food for supper. Finally, no doubt remained. The message was from Yahweh and the content of that message wasn’t what Nathan, David, or anyone expected. Yahweh’s word announced not a slight emendation of plans. It demanded a screeching halt to David’s strategy and commanded that the message be delivered which might seriously endanger Nathan when he did. Kings had slain people for bringing a message less damaging than this. In Israel, maybe the profession of prophet didn’t offer all the perks Nathan expected.
At least Yahweh instructed Nathan how to approach the subject. A quick review should help David recall that Yahweh had been an active God, moving from place to place with the ancestors, joining their caravan from Sinai to Canaan in a tent. Yahweh never ordered a permanent dwelling and had there been indication in the last five centuries that Yahweh needed something that humans could offer? In fact, Yahweh often demonstrated that the tent and the ark were only symbols, accommodations to help the Hebrews understand that Yahweh’s gracious presence traveled in their midst. More basic than that, Yahweh was the one who devised any ultimate strategy. In his sight, kings are no different than any other person. That, Nathan realized, it wasn’t such bad news. It was heartening news, because then anything Yahweh does for humans, kings or not, is a gift, not even a reward.
In the morning Nathan dressed slowly and didn’t eat. He hesitated at his door before he exited, anticipating what would happen when he delivered Yahweh’s announcement to the king. Jerusalem’s construction project wouldn’t be under David’s timeline or his management, but Yahweh’s. A building of anything eternal was Yahweh’s work. It was a gift despite David’s many sins. As Yahweh had been the power behind David’s rise to the throne, so Yahweh would establish the rule of David’s family forever, temple or no temple. Yahweh’s grace far outbalanced the puny news that David was prevented from constructing a shrine. Yahweh granted a wondrous gift beyond any human or divine habitation.
Nathan quavered about announcing the veto to David’s temple plan, but in the place of David’s wish, and far better, Yahweh granted a plan for the ages: David’s descendants would govern. It was Yahweh’s decision. It wasn’t David’s whim or even his highest aspiration, it was simply and absolutely Yahweh’s promise.
Nathan walked shakily up to David’s palace, praying every step. But he’d had time for the message—which might at first shock David—to sink into his own soul. This halt to David’s temple dreams would be the slightest disappointment for David, because along with it came Yahweh’s message which would overwhelm even David with its great and gracious gift.
Preaching point: Yahweh’s promise of David’s dynasty was a gift far exceeding any disappointment when Yahweh vetoed David’s planned temple.
*****************************************
StoryShare, December 20, 2020 issue.
Copyright 2020 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
“Everything is Possible with God” by Peter Andrew Smith
“Will All Generations Please Call Mary ‘Blessed!’” by David O. Bales
“From Pasture to Prince; Then a Problem and a Prophecy” by David O. Bales
Everything is Possible with God
by Peter Andre Smith
Luke 1:26-36
Jessie stared out the window at the lights on the building across from the church. She had waited so long for this day. She had dreamed, planned, and hoped for this time to arrive. She looked at the letter in her hand one more time and sighed. Now that the waiting was over, all she felt was worry and doubt.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Val said from behind her.
Jessie turned around. “I got a letter today.”
“So, was it about the fellowship you applied for? The one where you were hoping to go and learn all the ways to revitalize inner city ministries?” Val grinned from ear to ear. “Awesome! This is what you have been waiting for. Why do you look so out of it? Are you in shock?”
“I’m in shock but not for the reason you’re thinking.” Jessie handed her friend the letter. “Look at where they are asking me to go.”
Val scanned the letter. “I’ve never heard of that city. Is that on the coast? Where is that?”
“Worse. The fellowship is overseas. Away from my family, away from my friends, away from everything I know and love.” Jessie wiped at her cheek. “I hoped for this and prayed for this because I want to help people here in this city to come to Jesus. But why do I have to go overseas to a country I’ve never been to before where some of the people speak a different language to learn how to do that?”
“Jessie, did you look at that school?” Val looked up from her phone. “The faculty are names that even I’ve heard of and the courses are exactly what you have been looking for.”
“I know -- I looked.” Jessie sighed again. “The program has everything I could ever want but is it really what I’m supposed to do?”
Val frowned. “Why would God open this door if you’re not supposed to go through it?”
“What if I’m making the wrong choice?” Jessie threw up her hands. “What if this is a complete disaster and I flame out and come back a loser?”
Val smiled. “I’ll still be your friend.”
“I’m serious,” Jessie said. “You know what I mean.”
“I’m serious too. You’ve got this.”
“I’ve got this?” Jessie started to count on her fingers. “I’m terrified to fly. I’ve never been away from this city for more than a few weeks and now I’m expected to be gone for two full years. I have to learn another language. I’m not sure I can be away that long from Mom and Dad because heaven knows they’re not getting any younger. I’ll have to tell Pastor Paul that I can’t teach Sunday School anymore too. I don’t think I can do this.”
“Jessie, there will always be reasons not to do something. Always things you have never done and things you will miss.” Val looked at her oldest and dearest friend. “I think you’re forgetting something really important.”
Jessie tilted her head. “What’s that?”
“That you have a once in a lifetime opportunity to do something you feel that God is calling you to do in your life. You’ve got a chance to study and learn things you can’t here and then come back and help a renewal start in this city and church.”
“Val, that all sounds good but I don’t know if I can make that possible.”
Val took her hand. “Jessie, remember that with God nothing is impossible.”
“I’m still not sure.”
“Of course, you’re not sure, that’s what faith is about. This whole season is about people risking and stepping out in faith in the hope of being a part of what God is doing in the world. That’s why Mary said yes to the angel Gabriel, why Joseph stayed with Mary, why the shepherds left their flocks to see the baby Jesus, and why the wise men went searching. I can’t imagine any of them knew what would happen or were completely comfortable, but they knew God was with them so they went.” Val locked eyes with her. “Do you think God is with you and wants you to do this?”
Jessie thought for a moment. “Yes, I really do.”
“Then do it.”
Jessie smiled at her friend. “It is pretty exciting.”
“Absolutely! Let’s go tell Pastor Paul and spread some Christmas cheer.”
Jessie followed her best friend toward the church office. She was still afraid and unsure but as she went to tell everyone about her letter, she made a deliberate choice to trust in the grace and the love of God.
* * *
Will All Generations Please Call Mary ‘Blessed!’
by David O. Bales
Luke 1:46b-55
Gaylene didn’t know why she brought up the subject. She almost admitted to herself that she didn’t really know what she was talking about. Maybe it was because she’d found out six weeks before that she was pregnant for the first time. Probably it was also because with Christmas approaching her pastor on Sunday had warned his parishioners not to be carried away with devotion to Mary. He said, “She was Jesus’ mother. That’s all.” Gaylene had heard the same message downgrading Mary the year before: “Jesus taught that whoever did the will of God was his mother.”
Gaylene believed that sometimes ideas just come to us, but it could also be the leading of the Holy Spirit; although, at the moment she spoke first and thought up reasons for it afterwards: “You ever wonder that Catholics exalt Mary too highly?”
There it was, out, and a shock to Fiona, Gaylene’s oldest friend whom she knew was Roman Catholic. The two were sipping lattes at their usual Thursday morning get-together. First the lattes, then the shopping, or anything special they could think of. For more than twenty years they’d been friends, since sitting together on the kindergarten playground curb chatting and dropping gravel down the drainage grate while other children milled around them. They were both conversationalists from the womb and finding one another in kindergarten seemed like the most natural occurrence for which their parents were grateful. Both sets of parents had worried about their daughters in kindergarten, having learned how gentle their children’s spirits were. They feared that the stampede of other kindergarteners would traumatize them. The families were pleased when their daughters paired with another child of similar temperament, although Gaylene’s family was devoted Protestant and Fiona’s devoted Roman Catholic.
Fiona shifted her latte to the side so that there was less between her and Gaylene. During all their decades as friends, they’d taken their parents’ instruction and not brought up what was so obviously different about them: Protestant and Catholic. Fiona leaned forward and curled up the side of her mouth as she always did when they entered a serious discussion. She spoke slowly and with a flat tone, “What do you mean?”
Gaylene, having gotten herself—and thus also Fiona—into this religious predicament, raised a hand to wind hair around her index finger as she did while thinking deeply. She quickly had to find something to say. “Oh,” she drew it out, “the statues.” She was pleased that perhaps she’d pulled herself out of the relationship’s hole with a statement about something physical and not doctrinal. She even gave a sigh that maybe she’d aimed their thoughts away from anything too confrontational.
She’d known that while they were in school, Fiona went to CCD. Gaylene’s parents explained that CCD’s instruction hardly touched upon the Bible, just non-biblical, medieval traditions and it wasn’t anything comparable to Sunday School. Consequently, she didn’t expect that Fiona would have much to say. But she did.
“You ever repeat the angel Gabriel’s words?”
“Huh?”
“You think the angel Gabriel’s words are worth our saying, like ‘Hail full of grace the Lord is with you?’ We speak that along with Gabriel to Mary.” She looked pleased with herself, “That’s Bible stuff.”
Gaylene glanced around the coffee shop. Many days other friends entered to join her and Fiona. Right now, she would much prefer greeting someone else than greeting Mary with Gabriel. But no friendly faces appeared to help her sidetrack the conversation which she with deepest regret had gotten herself into. Finally, she squeezed out the words, “No, I don’t think I’ve ever said that. Hadn’t thought about it.”
“Have you honored Mary by saying, ‘Blessed are you among women?’”
Gaylene said blankly, “No.” She didn’t know exactly where that came from, but it sounded pretty Roman Catholic.
“What about the magnificent cat?”
Now Gaylene was not only embarrassed but confused. “What?”
Fiona’s chuckle gave Gaylene a little relief. “It’s what we kids called the Magnificat. That’s the Latin word for what Mary prayed with her cousin Elizabeth. You know about that?”
Gaylene was now slowly moving her latte back and forth on the table in front of her. She looked into the brown eyes of the person she’d known for decades and, although she was flustered, this was her friend. Gaylene reassured herself that she had no reason to fear Fiona and, if Fiona were mentioning things from the Bible, she’d better listen. “I’ve heard it, yes.”
“Millions of Catholics around the world,” Fiona said as she saw Gaylene relaxing, “recite that every day and while we do it, we remind ourselves Mary prayed that ‘from now on all generations will call me blessed.’”
Although Gaylene was ignorant of the gravity of Fiona’s statement, she felt surrounded by Fiona’s goodwill and appreciated that Fiona hadn’t sought to embarrass her or actually to argue with her. She acknowledged to herself that she was going to find out more about Mary. She said simply, “I’ll talk to my pastor about it,” Gaylene said.
Fiona slapped her hand down on Gaylene’s and said with half a smile and half a smirk, “Maybe he’ll want to talk to my priest.”
That made Gaylene laugh.
Fiona said, “Might be an interesting conversation to listen in on. What do you think?”
“Might be,” Gaylene said.
Preaching point: The need for Christians fully to honor Mary.
* * *
From Pasture to Prince; Then a Problem and a Prophecy
by David O. Bales
2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
King David was at the top of his game, a fairy tale rise to power: His political enemies dead; the Philistine villages dominated; owner of his nation’s capital city; dwelling in a grand palace; and now the religious heartbeat of his people—the portable shrine of the ark of the covenant—was paraded into Jerusalem. Like other kings, the next step in securing his kingdom would be to build a temple. It would be Yahweh’s temple, of course, yet constructed by David’s wealth; and, just as with “David’s City,” folk would call it “David’s Temple.” Phrases with such a nice ring. The temple would be a monument to David’s fame. All this was apparent to everyone, including Nathan, Yahweh’s prophet recently attached to the royal staff.
With an open ended statement, the king posed to Nathan his first assignment. The subject was put without many details, just the king saying, “See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.” What else need be stated? David’s career barreled through swift, bloody conquests to the marvel of a grand Jerusalem temple. David’s many victories proved Yahweh’s blessings, didn’t they? No one doubted that Yahweh rejected Saul and favored David. Who else in Israel possessed his own city? It was laughably—even joyously—obvious, especially to Nathan who replied, “Go, do all that you have in mind; for Yahweh is with you.”
Everyone who heard of David’s newest plan sided with Nathan. Doesn’t life always work this way? Kings get what they want, even when dealing with religious matters. Thus, without a hesitating breath all thoughts turn to the project ahead in Jerusalem. Fetch the Phoenician workmen again, appoint the foremen, set the quarrymen to work, sharpen the tools. Clear the site. String the lines to situate the walls. Soon the city will ring with the sound of beasts of burden, hammers and chisels, saws and shouts of command.
It became a restless night for Nathan, wrestling with his bed, covers wrapping and unwrapping around him. He bounced his deliberations back and forth, pros and cons. Aren’t prophets around to give kings religious permission to do whatever they want? Those prophets of Baal: They always agree with their leader. They’re hirelings, yes-men.
At first, he considered it a bad dream or some rotten food for supper. Finally, no doubt remained. The message was from Yahweh and the content of that message wasn’t what Nathan, David, or anyone expected. Yahweh’s word announced not a slight emendation of plans. It demanded a screeching halt to David’s strategy and commanded that the message be delivered which might seriously endanger Nathan when he did. Kings had slain people for bringing a message less damaging than this. In Israel, maybe the profession of prophet didn’t offer all the perks Nathan expected.
At least Yahweh instructed Nathan how to approach the subject. A quick review should help David recall that Yahweh had been an active God, moving from place to place with the ancestors, joining their caravan from Sinai to Canaan in a tent. Yahweh never ordered a permanent dwelling and had there been indication in the last five centuries that Yahweh needed something that humans could offer? In fact, Yahweh often demonstrated that the tent and the ark were only symbols, accommodations to help the Hebrews understand that Yahweh’s gracious presence traveled in their midst. More basic than that, Yahweh was the one who devised any ultimate strategy. In his sight, kings are no different than any other person. That, Nathan realized, it wasn’t such bad news. It was heartening news, because then anything Yahweh does for humans, kings or not, is a gift, not even a reward.
In the morning Nathan dressed slowly and didn’t eat. He hesitated at his door before he exited, anticipating what would happen when he delivered Yahweh’s announcement to the king. Jerusalem’s construction project wouldn’t be under David’s timeline or his management, but Yahweh’s. A building of anything eternal was Yahweh’s work. It was a gift despite David’s many sins. As Yahweh had been the power behind David’s rise to the throne, so Yahweh would establish the rule of David’s family forever, temple or no temple. Yahweh’s grace far outbalanced the puny news that David was prevented from constructing a shrine. Yahweh granted a wondrous gift beyond any human or divine habitation.
Nathan quavered about announcing the veto to David’s temple plan, but in the place of David’s wish, and far better, Yahweh granted a plan for the ages: David’s descendants would govern. It was Yahweh’s decision. It wasn’t David’s whim or even his highest aspiration, it was simply and absolutely Yahweh’s promise.
Nathan walked shakily up to David’s palace, praying every step. But he’d had time for the message—which might at first shock David—to sink into his own soul. This halt to David’s temple dreams would be the slightest disappointment for David, because along with it came Yahweh’s message which would overwhelm even David with its great and gracious gift.
Preaching point: Yahweh’s promise of David’s dynasty was a gift far exceeding any disappointment when Yahweh vetoed David’s planned temple.
*****************************************
StoryShare, December 20, 2020 issue.
Copyright 2020 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
