All of us experience things in this fallen world that our Father God never designed us to experience.
Our dreams go unfulfilled, our goals remain unreached, and we find our hopes dashed. Maybe we found the ideal job but lost it to someone else.
We might have planned that perfect vacation, but a major house repair robbed the funds. Perhaps we longed for our children to walk with God, but they pursued the world instead. Or we planned a wonderful retirement with our spouse, but Father called them home to heaven.
When our dreams go unfulfilled, our first temptation is to focus on the loss, the frustration and disappointment that we feel. We set our minds on those things we can’t change. When we choose this path, we can easily find ourselves focusing only on what didn’t happen. And this path brings us nothing but sorrow, hurt, and grief.
Beloved, we all wrestle with this.
So, I want to share one word that can radically alter our negative response to our unfulfilled dreams … and turn our hurt and sorrow into praise and glory.
THAT WORD IS YET.
Let’s dive into the Old Testament and see how this word impacted the life of King David.
As David neared the end of his life, he shared his heart’s great desire … to build a temple for God (1 Chronicles 28:2). He spent much of his life designing this temple that would honor and exalt God, not only among the people of Israel but before the entire world, too. He made provision to build it, which means he raised all the gold, silver, and materials needed. His dream was almost close enough to touch. In David’s mind, it was time to do this.
But then God threw a hard curveball.
He wouldn’t allow David to build His temple because he was a man of war and had shed blood (1 Chronicles 28:3). Beloved, don’t read this passage lightly. David’s dream shattered with just one short sentence from God. He’d never see his heart’s desire fulfilled.
Can you imagine how he must have felt? It would be so easy for David to sink into depression, to mourn the loss of his dream and spend the rest of his days imagining what might have been.
But that’s not what David did.
Instead, he responded to this setback with that single, glorious word, yet (1 Chronicles 28:4). In this, the ninth inning of his life, David didn’t focus on what God wouldn’t allow Him to do. Instead, he set his mind on all that God had already accomplished through him.
Frank’s Free Translation of this passage might read something like this. “Yet, because God made me king, I got the unprecedented honor of designing the temple, raising funds for it, and making all the plans for its furnishings.”
Wow! What a life-changing mind set.
David was so awed and humbled by what God had given him to do, that the pain of losing his life’s dream quickly faded.
And when God announced that David’s son Solomon would build the temple (1 Chronicles 28:5-6), how did David respond? He rejoiced! And then he turned over to Solomon all the plans, finances, and furnishings he’d prepared. What could have been a nightmare of bitter conflict and resentment instead became a time of blessing for all. Beloved, that’s what a mind that’s set on God can do for a person.
HOW WAS DAVID ABLE TO RESPOND THIS WAY?
We find that answer in 1 Chronicles 29. David knew in his heart the purpose of this temple. It would be for God, not man, a sanctuary that would exalt Him above all else. David spent his entire life receiving from God. He knew Who is source really was. So, his heart focused on only one thing … to give back to God, to honor and glorify the eternal Giver. In fact, his heart and mind were so strongly set on honoring God that he added his entire personal fortune to the temple resources! Now, that’s devotion.
Beloved, I know that this newsletter is long, but I want to add just one more thing.
Below are David’s own words as he addressed Israel. May these comments, spoken by a man whose heart’s desire went unfulfilled, encourage you amid your own broken dreams and unfulfilled goals.
Therefore, David blessed the Lord before all the assembly; and David said:
”Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.
“Now therefore, our God, we thank You and praise Your glorious name. But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You
1 Chronicles 29:10-14
What a proclamation! And what an amazing difference a mind that’s set on God can make in a person’s life.
Is it any wonder that scripture refers to David as the man after God’s own heart?
Bless you, dear friends
