Today’s Reading, 1 Chronicles 22-24
Focal Scripture: 1 Chronicles 22:5 “David said, “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly great and famous and glorious in all the lands. Therefore, I will make provision for it.” So David made lavish preparations for it before his death.”
Preparation is very important. It doesn’t take long to figure out if someone is prepared or not when you are around them. It can be a classroom, a job interview, a sermon, or even just a general discussion. Preparation really shows itself when you are dealing with major physical activity or content specific topics. I know I have personally been around people who claimed to be experts in their field but were not well read and couldn’t carry on a basic conversation. Then I have been around people who are prepared and you want time to slow down because of what you are learning. The preparation made all the difference.
In today’s reading David knows he will not be building a dwelling place for the Lord. He also knows that his son will have that honor. Instead of complaining and pouting David goes into preparation mode. He begins to prepare the items Solomon will need for him to be successful in this project. David was preparing for the building in his own way. He had faith it would get built and would be more glorious than he could imagine.
We can learn a lot from David in this passage. First, he didn’t sulk when he was denied his goal. Instead he made sure his son had the provisions to make a great dwelling place. Second, David had a goal that was bigger than him and he made sure nothing would stop it from happening. Finally, David knew that preparation was the key to success. Make no doubt that Solomon saw this truth play out and it impacted him greatly. Not only was he preparing for the temple he was preparing his son to lead.
The challenge for us as believers is to make sure we are always prepared. It is a great testimony when we are able to confidently and powerfully demonstrate preparation. Being prepared means that we are disciplined and care about what we are doing.
Right now if you have a goal, are you preparing to meet that goal. Are you working hard and putting in the time? Are you learning all you can about the topic? Can you become so well versed you can be considered an expert? This type of preparation makes all the difference.
We should not only take this mindset in our personal lives but also our spiritual lives. We must prepare to grow in Christ everyday. To do this we must know the scriptures and we must know them well. Biblical preparation should be an emphasis for believers. People should be amazed at what we have prepared for biblically.
So how would people describe your preparation personally and spiritually? It is an easy way to share your faith with others everyday.
Tomorrow, I plan on reading 1 Chronicles 25-27
