A GOOD Idea and a GOD Idea

One Year Bible

Old Testament passage for Sunday, July 14, 2013:  I Chronicles 16:38-18:17

Now it came to pass, when David was dwelling in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under tent curtains.”  ² Then Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.”  ³ But it happened that night that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, ⁴ “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: “You shall not build Me a house to dwell in. I Chronicles 17:1-4 (NKJV)

David had a GOOD idea.  But it was not a GOD idea.  He sat in his own house and considered how he could improve God's "house."  Sounded like a good and honorable thing to do.  His most trusted counselor, Nathan, agreed with it. 

At first reading of this story, it sounds like God changed His mind.  One minute Nathan is saying, “Go ahead” and the next he’s saying, “Not so fast.”  Nathan initially believed that David was hearing from God about building a temple, and that David was to build it.  But, later that night, God brought clarity.  David was, in fact, hearing from God about the Temple.  But David’s job was not to actually do the construction.  Rather, he was only to PREPARE for it.

God didn’t change his mind.  It appears that Nathan jumped to a conclusion, and then God corrected him. 

It can be that way with following God.  Great ideas come into our heads and hearts.  We assume that since we heard it, we are to do it.  But, that’s not always the case.  It’s the difference between a GOOD idea and GOD idea.

Hearing from God can sometimes be like RADAR.  We are getting a signal, but it’s a little fuzzy.  We then try to interpret what we think God is saying to us.  We may be right on target about WHAT God wants, but we get some of the details wrong. 

This is an important lesson for each of us to learn.  Just because it’s a GOOD idea does not always mean it’s a GOD idea.