When God Says No, Part 2

Are you disappointed with God today from Chuck Swindoll.

We people on this earth package everything and we expect the Lord is directing us to package his plan just like we would logic that we used to be his logic when it is wrong up there together because it's not working out like I would've worked about as we invest ourselves in the Christian way of life.

Most of us hope for good behavior will yield a never-ending cycle of contentment and joy, but there are times when God in his infinite wisdom allows us to experience a shattered dream. How do we handle those unwanted moments of disappointment well today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll tells a relevant story that's recorded in second Samuel chapter 7 in this story we come to realize that God's ways are not our ways. So today Chuck describes how to respond when God says no.

When I cracked my Bible open to this chapter in recent days. I thought what a unique setting in which David found himself being a man of war. Oh, very courageous warrior. He was often involved in battle and unrest. However, there is an interlude that's very calm and quiet. His life is like a great job over tour that moves from one passionate strain to another one movement to another pause in the middle and the water settles.

It is a very quiet period of time where David is alone in the interlude in verses one, two and three. There's peace.

It says it came about when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest on every side, something first of all, there was domestic peace written over the heart above his fireplace.

Shalom all peace, all is well. The kids were playing in the room surrounded the house of the wife was happy. David was a piece in his heart there was an interlude of quietness is perhaps he set beside the fire one evening and watched crackling began to muse and meditate some of the best times in life. The brief interludes, quiet times. Furthermore, there wasn't national rest. See verse one God gave him rest on every side from all his enemies until you David didn't know that very often there was peace. It's a beautiful scene.

The best word is interlude David as he begins to reflect upon look the peaceful time in the lovely home in which he is living, lined with cedar beautiful home began to envision a dream first to he said to his close companion Nathan see now I dwell in the house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within tent curtains and Nathan responds and says do all that is in your mind for the Lord is with you.

Well, that's a good friend good friends encourage and there are times in which you see a need, and you think I am the one that should meet that need. David had that happen member we look at the ark of God is he brought it in the area and he had in mind a place to build this idea he was going to build a permanent residence in which to house the furniture of the tabernacle, God had never dwelt in a permanent house. David said it is fitting that the king should live in this lovely cedar dwelling and the ark should be a little tent out there I will build a house for God build a temple that was his resolve. I want to emphasize it was nothing of an ulterior motive. He had no selfish ambition had no desire to make a name for himself as a matter fact he wanted to exalt the name of God in building this house sometime. The dream is from God.

Sometime it's not now. Both are noble. Both are great results. Both are ideals, but when it's not of God, it won't come to fulfillment and it's hard to determine which is which. It's very hard.

In fact, you have friends like Nathan who will say go do all in your mind for the Lord is with you, only to have the Lord show you later on. It's not his plan and that's exactly what happened. Look at the divine response hey it comes through Nathan, but it's just as clear as if it had come directly to David that very night verse four. It came about the same night that the word of the Lord came to Nathan saying go and say to my servant David thus says the Lord, are you the one who should build me a house to dwell in. Hold your place here and turned to a parallel in first Chronicles chapter 17 is the same experience written by another pin that puts it more directly first Chronicles 17 verse three in verse four it came about the same night that the word of God came to Nathan saying go and tell David my servant, thus says the Lord, you shall not build a house for me to dwell in. That's a hard answer to get back to the king. Nathan hears it from God. That night he is just said the Lord be with you, David, let's make plans starting tomorrow.

Let's think it through and let's map out the kind of temple we got a bill for the Lord, and may God be honored and it only to have that very night in the middle of the night vision given by the Lord saying no way no way.

Now go back to second Samuel seven and I want you to see and the refusal of the request. God's affirmation of David look. For example, in several verses take verse eight. Therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep that you should be ruler over my people Israel right now that's clear, David. I've appointed you to be a king, not a builder of the temple. You have been given the gifts of doing the work of a king. I've gifted you for that not to build a temple verse nine. I've been with you wherever you go on and have cut off all your enemies from before you. I'll make you a great name, like the names of the great men who were on the earth. David your man-of-war Europe. Your heart is on the battlefield.

You're a fighter not a builder, you're a soldier you not made for the for the building of edifices here and that you're a man for the trenches and I bless you in such a way that all of the enemies have been subdued. Verse 12 when your days are complete, and you lie down with your fathers. This is it the day of his death, I will raise up your descendents after you.

Marcus well, I will raise up your descendents after you who will come forth from you and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever great breakthrough David you will you will know the delights of having a son, and we know today that it was Solomon and through Solomon. This temple will be built not through you now through your efforts but through Solomon. The dream will be fulfilled now.

It is extremely important to me that I communicate clearly this is not a question of sin.

It is not God's judgment. It is not coming up on David as a consequence of wrong. It is simply God's redirecting his plan and saying to David, it is a great resolve. But I say no to you and I say yes to your son not accept what was David wrong in thinking it had a young woman come up to me after the service.

The first evening service tonight and she said you know the story you told at the beginning of the message about the couple that had that broken romance and said yes.

She says it's been my experience that that I am like the young man you mentioned the fellow I have been going with his real peace about the relationship but I don't and after counsel with one of the pastoral members at the church.

I have become convinced I should call it off, but he isn't convinced what's wrong with me as her question, she was searching for something inside herself that that was was so wrong before God is not a question of being wrong.

It's a question of accepting his no and living with the mystery of his will.

We people on this earth package everything and we expect the Lord in his directing us to package his plan just like we would and we want that logic that we used to be his logic and when it isn't. We want it was wrong up there to get their act together because it's not working out like I would've worked it out. That's a great moment when you realize. Now look for a moment at a parallel section and second Chronicles chapter 6, and let's put to bed forever. The problem of sin. It's not involved. As a matter of fact, the Lord brags on David and the right sense for even having the thought second Chronicles chapter 6 I love versus seven, eight and nine. They just take the guilt out of the whole thing okay verse seven it was M bought in the heart of my father, David, Solomon is speaking. It was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel reading second Chronicles, six, eight, but the Lord said to my father, David, because it was in your heart to build a house for my name. You did well that it was in your heart.

Nevertheless, you shall not build a house but your son, who shall be born to you, he shall build a house for my name. I hurriedly went over verse eight on purpose.

The last part of verse eight is profound.

He says you did well that it was in your heart rather than seeing it as something wrong with David. The Lord says to him, I commend you for that thought. I commend you for having a heart that is so sensitive to me you would want to do something for my glory. I commend you.

It is well that it was in your heart, not David, it's not my plan for you to do that but I commend you for such a thought only pause here and give a couple of applications that I think is that would be fitting as you go back to second Samuel seven.

First of all, when God says no is not necessarily discipline or rejection.

It is redirection you pursued is will you have wanted to do his will you through that piece of wood on the fire and you saw it burn and in the burning you saw yours. Your selfish desires go up in smoke and you said with good intentions by God's grace I am going to pursue this and here you are 30, 40 years later, or maybe not even that long. Five years later and it hasn't worked out now if you listen to people you will be put into a guilt trip on that and they will tell you, you see there you you set your heart on God, but you have run from him your out of his will. I don't know how many couples I've talked with Hu early in their lives, and therefore life's plan, all mapped out but it it didn't work out as hard as they tried to make it work. It didn't go in the direction they plan and their living in the small of guilt that they are no longer walking in the will of God. It was well that it was in their heart but who is to say that it never was his plan or that it was in fact his will of the things we have to deal with in our walk with God is to listen carefully from day to day not just go back to some decision and say that's it forever, regardless we need to look at it each day.

Keep information, keep the fire hot, keep it on the back burner, saying, Lord, is this your arrangement is this your plan.

If it is not make me sensitive to it. Maybe your redirecting my life. The second thing I would say is God does not call everybody to build temples.

He calls some people to be soldiers. He calls some people to do the work in the trenches.

He does call some people to represent him on foreign soil.

He doesn't call everyone I tell you if you want to talk to a disillusioned individual who talk to one that has in his heart the desire for the mission field a lot of emotion connected with this illustration, so I'll use it. And early in life, this individual says I'm called of the field. I know that's where the Lord wants me and so a college education is pursued in the area of that of the interest that he wants to pursue okay and when that has taken place. He set some short-term experiences in the sort of confirmed it in the true training events that happens in his life. He finally winds up in front of the candidate secretary of the missionary organization and is looking eyeball to eyeball into the face of the official that has now gotten to know him and look at his resume and he hears the ominous words no, we have the mission do not really feel comfortable placing our hands upon you and saying your to represent us in the field you talk to that person, 10, 20, 30 minutes later near the top disillusioned individual and he walks out really wondering what in the world is wrong no II would love to have remembered that this verse we just looked at the second Chronicles was in the book you did well that it was in your heart that it may be that since this plan has been changed that God would use you in a whole new creative way to get the job done through someone else.

Maybe that's his plan to see what David had to hear he had to. Here is not to be you, Dave it's going to be your son of what was David's response to the minutes.

Face it dad's some of our most frustrating experiences happen when God gives us children, not when it gives the children, but as they begin to grow up and one of two problems. Either they don't pursue the path that we would love to have pursued and we want to live it through them or they pursue it in a way that just puts us to shame. They just are. Like the meteor you know they do it in abundance and then there's the other problem the problem of jealousy parents so we we have a tough road role to fill a role of support and encouragement so that if God directs our children in an area that we never were interested in. We give them the same kind of support as if it is the fulfillment of a dream in our lives and the second area is that when they pursue that dream and they succeed in it. We encourage them to go to the maximum without any sense of jealousy or restraint takes a very secure mom or dad to do that. Very secure David's like to see verse 18 of second Samuel seven beautiful David, the king went in and set before the Lord, that posture, he just sat down that interesting for everyone in he set out maybe went to his own chamber in his home, his own bedroom and he set down the floor and he just silently looked up he had just heard. The answer is no, and I can have the dream you did well.

It was in your heart but it's not my plan.

So we sat down and just like a child.

He begins to express grateful questions to the Lord. Look at it.

He says who in my old Lord God and what is my house that thou hast brought me this far and yet this was insignificant in thine eyes of the Lord God for that was spoken. Also the house of thy servant concerning the distant future. Verse 20. Again, what more can David say that the is that like a little child you know when a child refers to himself.

He calls himself by name. That echidna can shut right is his big wheel little bit longer before he comes in for supper. That's what my son would say, or are your job that he can Susie play for just a few more minutes switch child refers to himself, just like a little boy. He sat down before the Lord, and he said dad what is David that you bless my house and you blessed my life and you brought me from from leading a little flock of sheep to give me this magnificent throne whom I you know friends it's important that we take a long look at our short lives and just counter blessings who are we to have been protected from the rains that fell when there have been dozens made homeless who are we that he is blessed our house and kept it safe to allow more than you should give me health and strength to be able to hold a job or pursue this career. Got to get this degree heart have that set of parents is mine, who have encouraged me or to have these kids see them grow, whom I dream or no dream. I'm a blessed person is David. Even though I may not see the fulfillment of my goals as I've called so he makes some very insightful declarations I've underscored mine in the Scriptures.

Verse 22. There is none like what a statement of praise thou art great old Lord God, there is none like the there's no God besides the verse 25 the word that thou has spoken concerning thy servant and his house confirm it forever. Verse 26 that thy name may be magnified forever. Verse 28, thy words are truth 29. Bless the house of thy servant, the grateful man who knows the one who wrote the song could've taken it from the 29th verse bless this house will address the parents for just a moment and forgive the nostalgia, but it's fitting.

We have great high-powered plans and our pace is moving along at such a rapid rate is easy to paw. It's easy to forget because look at our homes just express the simple words Lord bless my family Chuck Swindoll has much more to say about getting each of our children a blessing. It's all part of the wisdom that emerges from this study in second Samuel chapter 7, Chuck titled today's message when God says no. If you like to learn more about this ministry, we invite you to visit us online@insightworld.org in the moments we have remaining. All of us at Insight for living, would like to express our combined. Thanks for the outpouring of generous responses that admin sent our way this year.

We are deeply encouraged by your gifts and especially your comments at times like these were reminded that the wisdom of God's word is timeless. We know that's true because of the stories you tell us about personal life change. For instance, one of your fellow listeners wrote this is exactly what I needed to hear today your study on David is so fitting for my life right now.

Praise the Lord. Another said, I read Chuck's book on David twice. It's one of my favorite books, and now I'm listening to the series the biography that this listener is referring to is called David a man of passion and destiny. This would make a great read because it chronicles the dramatic story of David from his years on the hillside as a shepherd to assent to the highest rank in Israel and it's all told in a fashion you've come to enjoy on this program to purchase a copy of Chuck's biography on David give us a call if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888 or visit our website@insight.org/offer these daily programs are made possible not to the provision of resources, but the voluntary donations from grateful listeners like you to get a contribution today. Call us if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888 or go to insight.org/yourself to a vacation you'll never forget on the inside for living ministry screws to the great frontier with Chuck Swindoll. Honestly, I had no idea that a cruise to Alaska could be so much fun without a doubt stunning views, took my breath away God's artistic genius is on full display in the last in fact not guaranteed.

You come home refreshed and filled with all for his shift to create one point I simply think he thanked often playing in the way. It was amazing to have plenty of time for pictures on shore lingering conversations around meal and strolling through the idyllic ports of call real part of some of the best part of our day laughing, singing and celebrating our God plan to come with the dates are July 1 through July 8, 2023.

To learn more, call 1880-447-0441 888-447-0444 or visit insight.org/events Alaska is paid for and made possible by only those who choose to attend. I'm Bill Meyer inviting you to join us again tomorrow when Chuck Swindoll concludes his message on what to do when God says no on insight for living in the preceding message when God says no was copyrighted in 1978, 1988, 1997 and 2009 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2009 by Charles R. Swindoll.

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