Ministry Resources

OT Fire Starters – Day 119: 2 Samuel 7-8

READ: 2 Samuel 7-8

THINK: What would the world be like if more people kept their promises? More marriages would last. More employees would get pay raises and promotions. More constituents would trust their government. And more kids would see their parents at their games and events. In an ideal world, people could always count on each other to be true to their word. That would be nice, but it’s not reality. In a world full of sin, most people show little or no regard for God and His truth. So why would people be any more true to each other? While we may try our best to live with integrity, we’re all guilty of letting others down from time to time. Thankfully, God doesn’t base His faithfulness to us solely on our faithfulness to Him or to others. He offers us more than we deserve. That’s grace. When He promised to establish an eternal kingdom, He followed through on that promise. What’s more, He made a way for each of us to be a part of that kingdom through a personal relationship with the King himself-Jesus Christ.

RESPOND: Why did David want to build a “house” for God? What kind of a covenant-or “life agreement”-did God make with David? (See 7:12 note.) What responsibilities did God have regarding this covenant and what obligations did David’s descendants have? (See 7:12 note and article on God’s Covenant with David, p. 390 in the FBSE.) How does God ultimately fulfill His promise to establish an eternal kingdom? (See 7:16 note.) Why did God make these promises to David? (See 7:18 note.) How does God’s promise to David affect you? What did David’s prayer reveal about his view of God and of himself? In what way did David express greater concern for God’s reputation than his own legacy (7:25-26)? How did David show gratitude to God for all his victories (8:11)?

PRAY: Give God thanks for your church as a place to gather with others to worship God. Thank Jesus for the spiritual victories He’s helped you win and for His eternal kingdom in which He calls you to serve.

ACT: Find a place to get alone with God and practice worshiping Him without restraint or regard for what others think. Express praise in your own words, with greater passion and intensity than you normally do. Use worship music if it helps. On a regular basis, this exercise can help you experience greater freedom and vitality in praising God.

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