The Simple Life

Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, "Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And this was a small thing in your eyes, O God. You have also spoken of your servant's house for a great while to come, and have shown me future generations, O Lord God! And what more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant. For your servant's sake, O Lord, and according to your own heart, you have done all this greatness, in making known all these great things.” 1 Chronicles  17:16-19  (ESV) David, the king, mighty warrior, and valued friend, states, from his heart, "Who am I?" Successful people focus on what God is doing, not what they have been and are doing. God works so we can see Him, not so people can see us. When we become the focus of an event, we eclipse its purpose and lose any true fulfilment that would have come from living life the way it was meant to be.   https://www.podbean.com

But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, "Go and tell my servant David, 'Thus says the Lord: It is not you who will build me a house to dwell in.’” 1 Chronicles 17:3-4 (ESV) \ It is not always about us. We must live in a way that takes advantage of our opportunities while setting up the next generation to take advantage of their opportunities. Today's leaders must live in a way that sets tomorrow's leaders up for success. David was a shepherd whose life journey brought him many experiences, from watching sheep, to slaying Goliath, to becoming a fugitive and king. He walked with God and walked away from God. He took care of his men and killed a man to have his wife. David lived a life full of good, bad, and ugly. His life was such that God did not want him to build the temple, but he could arrange for it to be built. Through it all, as God remembers David, He remembers him as a man after His own heart. In the end, that's what matters. https://www.pod

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgments he uttered, O offspring of Israel his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones! 1 Chronicles 16:8-13 (ESV)   In order to be able to give thanks to the Lord and make His deeds known among the people, you need to know who God is and what He has been doing. If you do not know what God has been doing, then, possibly, your life has been eclipsing God's work, and it is time for you to get out of the way. Those who sought God know God and love to tell of His wondrous works. As they recount His works, they garner strength and courage to continue to stand firm, so they might be part of His current and future works. It is fun

Then David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar, and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab, and said to them, "You are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites. Consecrate yourselves, you and your brothers, so that you may bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it. Because you did not carry it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not seek him according to the rule." 1 Chronicles  15:11-13  (ESV) There is no room for stubbornness among Christians. When we make mistakes, we need to own them, make changes, and press on. Those who are defeated by their mistakes do not understand God's mercy, grace or power and, in a strange way, have allowed perfection to rule them rather than God. David's original intention was good, but his actions were evil. He eventually kept his intentions while changing his actions, and in the end, the ark was returned to where it

And they carried the ark of God on a new cart, from the house of Abinadab, and Uzzah and Ahio were driving the cart. And David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, with song and lyres and harps and tambourines and cymbals and trumpets. And when they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah put out his hand to take hold of the ark, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he put out his hand to the ark, and he died there before God. 1 Chronicles 13:7-10 (ESV) David had become the leader of a worthless community. God had made it clear how one was to carry the Ark, but David ignored it, and the people did not feel it important enough to challenge him on it. It was not as if the law was unclear; it was that the law was ignored for some reason. Listening to the majority voice can never determine truth, and there is no good reason to ignore God and His direct commands. Those who do so will regre

David consulted with the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, with every leader. And David said to all the assembly of Israel, "If it seems good to you and from the Lord our God, let us send abroad to our brothers who remain in all the lands of Israel, as well as to the priests and Levites in the cities that have pasturelands, that they may be gathered to us. Then let us bring again the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul." All the assembly agreed to do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people. 1 Chronicles 13:1-4 (ESV) It is nice that David consulted the leaders of the people and that they collectively decided that it was a good thing to bring back the ark. I am not sure one needed to take a vote on this issue, but it was nice of David to do that. Having all the assembly agree does not guarantee things will be done correctly. A majority vote can never determine right and wrong. In this case, David and the majority voice were