February 1
The Greatest Pursuit
Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things … it all belongs to you.
And the entire assembly praised the Lord … They feasted and drank in the Lord’s presence with great joy that day. 1 Chronicles 29:11,16,20,22 (NLT)
Do you want to find real joy?
People everywhere look for happiness. As a nation, we have always sought to ensure citizens had the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Finding peace and joy and happiness is important to us is it not? Under David, the nation of Israel found these things … and more. As the people gathered to dedicate the work on the temple, King David gave a speech, and his description of this greatest of pursuits was, well, a bit surprising.
The truth David staked his and their futures on was this: they owned nothing. It was all God’s. Everything belongs to God, David said. Their families, their success and wealth, their very lives were all His. And, as they dedicated the materials Solomon would use to build His temple, they all praised God. The result? One of the biggest and happiest parties ever seen in all of Israel.
The truth for us is simple: we can follow their example. We too can trust God, acknowledge His greatness and allow His peace, His joy, His happiness to overwhelm us. We can be just like David, who in the solitude of tending sheep (1 Samuel 16:11) learned that pursuing God was the greatest pursuit of all!
So let it be, Lord. So let it be. Amen.