Tag: Purpose

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A desire is not validation nor is it endorsement

Scriptural references: (2 Samuel 7:1–17; 1 Chronicles 22)

David has a strong, sustained, desire to build God a house. He is grieved that he dwells in cedar while the ark dwells in a tent. Nathan initially endorses the desire: “Go, do all that is in your heart, for God is with you” (2 Samuel 7:3). David has the resources, the organizational capacity, the administrative infrastructure and  genuine devotion.

Surprisingly, God’s answer was no. It was not due to the desire being wrong or the temple being unnecessary but due to David’s history of bloodshed. Although imperetive for Israel’s security, it disqualified him for this particular assignment. The Prophet Nathan returned to correct what he had told him before.

What David’s Case Establishes

Every external marker said yes to David’s desire:

  • The desire was not impulsive
  • The desire was noble, godly, oriented towards God’s glory
  • The desire was initially prophetically confirmed
  • The man holding the desire was genuinely devoted
  • He had the wherewithal to execute this desire

Yet, God said not you. This means that no combination of duration, nobility, prophetic encouragement, personal devotion, and wherewithal constitutes divine authorization. All of those factors can be evident simultaneously and the answer can still be no, or not you or not yet — or this is accurate however I have someone else assigned to it. And the Lord did; that person was his son, Solomon. 

Therefore, a desire is not validation or endorsement; it is but data that requires submission and vetting by the Lord, not a conclusion to act upon.
David’s story also thwarts the teaching that all desires in our hearts are a signal from the Lord of our purpose or assignment and we are to pursue them.

David’s mature response

David did not argue nor did he invoke his pure intention. He sat before the Lord in (2 Samuel 7:18–29) and prayed “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me this far?”

The Lord’s redirection

He received the no and he redirected his energy towards preparation rather than construction. He gathered materials, organized the Levitical orders, and handed Solomon everything that was required. Evidently, his love for the project did not disappear, rather, it was submitted and redirected into a form God could utilize.

Furthermore, in that season of submitted waiting, David wrote the Psalms, which became the prayer book of the entire people of God across three thousand years. Not being chosen to build the temple did not equate to rejection, he had his own assignment.

The Questions That Must Precede Action

  • A burning, sustained, recurring desire is worth paying significant attention to; it may be pointing toward something real. But the next step is not execution, the next step is examination. These are the questions that must be brought before God:
  • Lord, is this desire from You?
  • Is this Your assignment for me or is this a mere attraction to something good?
  • Is the timing now, or am I carrying something meant for a future season?
  • Am I the vessel for this, or am I called to prepare the ground for someone else?
  • Is a prophetic word or voice of correction being evaded in my pursuit of this?
  • David’s answer to those questions, had he asked them fully, would have been: the desire is from Me, the temple is real, but you are the preparer not the builder. That is not a rejection; it is a precise assignment within the larger purpose.

There lies heart-wrenching, detrimental repercussions in pursuing unsubmitted, unvetted desires

  • The enemy utilizes them to crush our faith. When we pursue what is not in God’s will for us to do or what we are not even gifted to do or undertake an assignment out of season, it may not prosper. That causes our faith to dwindle, giving the enemy room to work. We are then left feeling rejected and dismayed.
  • Individuals may not even partner in the good work we are doing, leaving us with a barrage of questions for the Lord
  • The enemy can also utilize it to displace faith with fear so that the faith required for this assignment 20 years from now will be absent.
  • Desire alone cannot sustain anyone where wisdom is required. The Lord may need to teach us how to operate in that assignment ahead of time, and the desire may be a signal of what lies ahead, not of what should be pursued now.
  • The early Apostles experienced this. They prayed for the epileptic boy and failed to get him delivered. Unbeknownst to them, that kind required prayer and fasting. Had they possessed this knowledge, their session would have yielded the desired result.
  • At times, assignments do not prosper due to this fact and individuals become despondent, forego it entirely, whereas the endeavor failed due to reasons stated above. The enemy spoils us of our purpose with this strategy. Do not be swift to discard what failed. It is time for us to reevaluate our steps and seek the Lord concerning these issues.

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The heart of parenting

The true heart of parenting is this: Hannah said to the Lord, if you give me a child, I will give him back to you. This is the guideline of what true parenting entails. The Bible states that children are a gift from God. Therefore the child belongs to God before they belong to the parents. Parents are likened to stewards or managers. When a child enters this world, they are utterly helpless. They are likened to a blank sheet of paper. The parents are given the role not only to rear the child but to teach them the ways of the Lord so that when that child has matured and possesses understanding, they will follow the Lord and fulfil purpose. Everyone on this earth has a purpose. Everyone has to fulfil what God has predestined for them.

Consider the following stories in scripture

When the Lord purposed to use Joseph, He permitted his brothers to sell him into slavery and lie to their father, claiming that he was eaten by wild animals. Jacob agonized over the death of his favorite son for many yrs. Joseph’s suffering did not end there. Potifer’s wife seduced him and he fled from the scene. This landed him in prison for 12 years. The Lord did not intervene; he chose to prepare him for his destiny in that prison. When He was finally a ruler and his brothers came to Egypt seeking for food, he said they should bring Benjamin. They pleaded with him so that they would not do that because due to the “death” of Joseph, their father had grown increasingly attached to the boy. Jacob was still grieving the “death” of Joseph yet the Lord did not spare him the pain. Why? It was not about him; however, about what the Lord wanted to do through Joseph.

Additionally, our Lord Jesus Christ died for our sin at the age of 33. Mary witnessed the child she bore endure excruciating pain. She watched on as he took his last breath yet, the Lord was fulfilling the Father’s will. That moment was not to intentionally hurt her.

When a parent’s ambition overrides the Lord’s will

Today, many parents inadvertently obstruct the divine path by imposing personal ambitions on their children. Although they may observe that their child is artistic, they will coerce the child to pursue traditional professions such as law in efforts to uphold the intellectual status in the home. The child pursues their parents desires and misses their purpose in life. I read a story where a young woman who was mid enrolled in nursing school was instructed by the Lord to go to Bible school. Shockingly, her parents disowned her for that decision. When parents don’t exercise caution and disregard discernment, they can unwittingly cause their children to miss the paths the Lord had meticulously preordained for them.

The strategy of the evil one

The enemy capitalizes on the authority of parents to steer their adult children in the wrong direction and cause them to miss their purpose entirely. He is cognizant of the fact that many possess an inherent reverence for their parents and therefore seek their approval. Thus, they will obey them. The Lord warned us that whoever loves parents more than Him cannot be his disciple( Luke 14:26).

Regard fearing the Lord and fulfilling purpose above only job acquisition

The role of a parent is to teach their child that they belong to the Lord. They should steer the child in the direction of the Lord’s leading. They should not obstruct clear direction from the Lord.

A job is not the highest achievement in life. It may be rewarding to witness your child mature to be responsible and be able to pay their own bills. Yet, the highest satisfaction a parent should feel is when their child has accepted Jesus Christ and fulfils destiny. Sadly, this joy is achieved through minimum effort. When the child matures, secures a job and is a responsible adult, most parents feel that they have fulfilled their role. If that child only manages to be a responsible citizen yet misses their destiny, did that parent truly steer the child in the right direction? The answer is no.