That Is Not My Plan For Your Life

2 Samuel 7:1-29

The Story

David was the King of Israel.

The nation of Israel was united and at peace.

David was enjoying a time of rest.

David spent time to meditate and reflect on the blessings and the grace of God.

A dream was born in his heart : he wanted to build God a permanent dwelling place.

Ever since the time of Moses, God's presence had dwelt in the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle.

David wanted to give God a proper, permanent place to manifest His glorious presence.

But God said "No".

Lessons

David's reaction to God's "No" is something that we should all take to heart.

Many of us have dreamed to serve God in a greater and meaningful way.

We pray about it, telling God in great details what we will do.

But our dream never works out......

It is as if God has said to us,"That is not My plan for your life."

What do we do?

Remember...

David had desired to build God a permanent dwelling place, but God said "No"!

Look at what David did!

Many of us also have desired to serve God in a better or unique way, but God also says "No"!

What do we do?

Let God's Way be The Way

2 Samuel 6:11-19

The Story

A man named Obed-Edom was glad to have the Ark in his house...

For the LORD God had blessed him and his family abundantly!!!

When David heard of the blessings upon the house of Obed-Edom, he was very eager to bring the Ark home.

During the three months that passed after the death of Uzzah, David must have learned how the Ark was to be moved...... and he was ready and careful to do God's work God's way!

So he went to the house of Obed-Edom and got the Ark home the right way.

David's heart had been transformed.......

And he was getting what he went after.

He went after God and he was returning with the presence and power of God!

Lessons

So do believers who go after the LORD God with a heart to know Him, and who seek His face according to His revealed will.

They will receive what they are after.

When they stop trying to use fleshly means and worldly shortcuts to go after the LORD God.......

When they start going after the LORD God by honoring His Word and respecting His holiness.....

Then the LORD God will bless them with His presence and His power for His glory!

It is when we learn to line up with the LORD God.....

and go after Him with all our hearts....

....... That we will have Him and His blessings.

Remember...

It's when David started doing things God's way, that God blessed him!

It's when David started going after God, that he had His presence and His power!

David got the Ark home God's way.

Let God's way be the way.

Doing God's Business Using God's Way

2 Samuel 6:1-19

The Story

David's motives in bringing the Ark to Jerusalem were proper, but his methods were faulty.

David either forgot or ignored the clear command of God as to how the Ark was to be transported:

• He didn't seek God's guidance and direction before he did it. He just assumed that God would bless him because he was doing a good thing.

• The Ark was supposed to be carried only on the shoulders of the Kohanites, but David placed it on a new cart!

His method for transporting the Ark resulted in the death of a man named Uzzah:

For the first two miles of the journey, the oxen shook the cart and threatened to dump the Ark off the cart. Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the Ark and to prevent it from falling.

God killed Uzzah on the spot because of his foolish disobedience! The Ark was never to be touched by human hands (Num. 4:15)!

This is God's precept. And His precepts are to be followed to the letter, without question!

David got angry. He chose to forget the whole matter. He dismissed the people and left the Ark where it was....

Lessons

Many of us would like to have God in our lives, but our methods are faulty.

We either forget or ignore the clear command of God as to how to glorify His name and enjoy His presence:

• We don't seek God's guidance and direction. We simply assume that God will bless us because we are doing a good thing.
• There are clear teachings in the Bible as to how to worship Him and enjoy Him. But we choose to do God's business our way.
  

God's blessings come only through obedience.

• God's children must always pray before they make a move (Matt 6:33).

• God's children must only do God's business using God's way.
  

Those who defy His Word and His will will pay a terribly high price!

• When we seek to do God's business our way, God will not bless it.
  

• When we employ worldly methods to do God's work, God will not bless it.

• And when we fail to seek God's Will, God will not bless us.

• When we operate in the power and energy of the flesh, God will not bless us.

• When we refuse to obey God's precepts and principles, God will not bless us.

Remember...

David's motives in bringing the Ark to Jerusalem were proper, but his methods were faulty.

And God did not bless him!

Instead, God punished Him!

If we want to be disappointed in our walk with Jesus as an individual or as a church, just do everything our way, and watch God's judgment!

If we want God's blessings, then let us do God's business using God's way.