RUN LIKE A CHAMPION

If there’s one thing of which I have no shortage in my life, it’s dreams. By nature, I’m a dreamer. I was a dreamer before I became a Christian, and since that great day Christ came into my life, I’ve continued to dream dreams. Before coming to Christ, I dreamed of great achievements that would bring me glory. After the grace of God was applied to my life, I began to dream of seeing His glory, kingdom, and power.
But not all of my dreams have been from God. In fact, most of them haven’t been in God’s will. One great challenges I face as a leader is discerning which dreams are His and which are simply my own ideas. But often the greatest challenge is being willing to hear God say No when I feel strongly about a dream and deeply wish to see it come to pass.
David experienced such a challenge. His great desire had been to bring the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem, to the center of Jewish life. He saw that dream come true. But as often happens, the fulfillment of one dream only leads to a greater dream. After David settled into his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent” (2 Samuel 7:2). Nathan first told him to do whatever was in his heart. Then the Lord spoke to Nathan and told him to inform David he was not to build a temple for the Ark.
To David, that must have been devastating. But David was a man after God’s own heart. He wanted God’s will more than he wanted his own way. It’s interesting that when David heard Nathan’s words, he sat down and had a long talk with God. He expressed gratitude and praise to Him. We find the summation of what David said in 2 Samuel 7:28: “O Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant.” This response of David gives us the best insight into his character and leadership. He had a deep abiding trust in the Word and character of God. He knew that God could be trusted even when He said No — and that He is good, no matter what.
God’s refusal contains several important elements. First, though David building a temple wasn’t His will, David’s motive and ability to dream of building it was not a negative thing. It was good and holy. After David’s son, Solomon, built the temple, he indicated that God was pleased with David’s dream. “But the Lord said to my father David, ‘Because it was in your heart to build a temple for my Name, you did well to have this in your heart’” (2 Chronicles 6:8). God knows our minds and our thoughts. We see and understand only in part. No one knows that better than God, and He was pleased with David’s motives.
Often in this life, we see only partially. We will be able to know completely the will of God only when we get to heaven. So we need not be discouraged when we don’t have a total grasp of God’s will. Part of David’s dream was right. A temple would be built. But God’s plan was that David’s son, Solomon, build the temple. God said to David, “Nevertheless, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, who is your own flesh and blood — he is the one who will build the temple for my Name” (1 Kings 8:19).
David was not the man to build the temple. His idea was right, but the person and the timing were wrong. God didn’t berate David because he didn’t see His will fully. He spoke to David as a loving father. And David knew God well enough to trust Him. In time, the temple was built and God was glorified. A No became a stepping-stone to the completion of God’s will. In God’s time, God’s perfect will would be accomplished. David needed only to wait on the Lord. His ways are truly higher than ours.