Read: 2 Samuel 7:8-16
When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up after you your descendant, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
2 Samuel 7:12-13
For children, obedience seems to be one of the most highly sought-after traits. "Is he a good boy?" "Does she do as she's told?" However, most adults don't give as much thought to being obedient. Other qualities are often more highly praised, such as intelligence, courage or kindness. And yet, as Christians, obedience is incredibly important. We are called to be obedient to our God, the one who made us, who knows us and who wants the best for us.
Yesterday we read about Abraham, a man who was (most of the time) obedient to God, and today we read about David. He had also been obedient to God and had become a mighty, successful King. But these verses in 2 Samuel 7 are all about what God had done for David - how He had appointed him (verse 8), been with him (verse 9), destroyed his enemies (verse 9), made his name great (verse 9). Everything good about David came from God.
Yes, David was obedient, but he couldn’t claim any victory as his own. In this chapter, God is reminding David that He had taken simple obedience and turned it into something incredible, for His glory. It's a brilliant reminder for all of us to hear. Unlike children who are praised for obedience, we should praise God, the one we obey.
In verse 12, we see God's ultimate accomplishment through David - from David’s line came Jesus, our Saviour. The only good and perfect man, who would die to save us and bring us to eternal life. Never would David have imagined such an amazing end to his story and, in a similar way, so often God surprises us with how He uses our actions. So, let's prioritise obedience this year, knowing that God will use our simple acts and bring great things from them.
