David wanted to build a house for God, but God told David that God would build him a house (2 Samuel 7). It’s a fascinating story to read in chapter 7 of 2Samuel. Actually David wanted to build a house because of his guilty feeling. It was driven by the guilt that he had forgotten all about God as he was building his palace. 

But God responds and says several things (In my assessment of the text):

1. God never asked for a house.

2. The response has a surprise element, where God is essentially saying “Will you build a house for me?

3. God promises that He will build a “house” for David (this house is not a physical one – David already built that.) But this house that God would build would be an everlasting Kingdom, eventually through the Messiah, Jesus. 

What can we “do” for God? Relax, God has you covered. 

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Yes, I know the common phrase is “Why worry when you can pray.” But in practice, we reverse the order, and worry without prayer. Or, our prayers are just a mention of our struggles. No focus and no urgency in our prayers. 

Yet the Bible is clear that prayer is to be the priority. 

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” (Phil 4:6)

Prayer and supplication is not just casual advice. Those two words are to be the source of strength based on our faith and trust in the one who knows every struggle we go through. The word prayer is a general term for prayer, but supplication implies a greater sense of urgency and neediness. It’s much beyond a casual request. It’s an intense heartcry that touches the heart of the Father. 

So next time, when you’re tempted to accept worry over fear, turn to prayer. 

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Yes, the first chapter of Genesis clearly says that the earth was created in a literal 6 days, referring to the Jewish method of reckoning days. But since the concept of days only occurs after the Earth begins to spin and the revolution around the Sun starts, this gets complicated. Before the Sun, Moon, Stars, and the Earth began to “function” as it is today, there was no time to speak of. Eternity is beyond time and cannot be measured in terms of today’s calculations. 

So, how many days or years to create the earth and to bring it to it’s present condition? For me, the answer is: No. Such a discussion is invalid. It wasn’t six days or millions of years. Since time did not exist, we cannot use current measurements to measure immeasureable factors. 

It was in the 5th century B.C. that Antiphon, an ancient philosopher suggested that time was a human construct. Centuries later, in 1883, Ernst Mach made this concept of a timeless universe part of scientific discussions. Later, Albert Einstein also postulated various perspectives on time. 

For me, a discussion about time or time periods for creation that took place outside of “time” is beyond the purview of reason. So, how many days or years did it take to create the earth? 

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It’s not what you think. When we “create” an image of God according to our own likeness, God responds with surprise. God takes it as a challenge — sort of. 

It reminds me of the old Broadway show from the 1970’s “Your Arms Too Short to Box With God,” based on the book of Matthew. It was something like that phrase when remembering Numbers 11:23 “And the Lord said to Moses, “Has the Lord’s arm been shortened?” 

No, it’s time to believe the impossible.

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It has always intrigued me that we have lots of desires and aspirations in life. We strive to live up to some expectations of people — often people who don’t really matter. Enoch was a man who is almost invisible except a few mentions in the scriptures. 

Somehow, it was an “unknown” person that God decided to take away without death. The only thing we know is that he walked with God. We can come up with all kinds of guesses regarding what it means to walk with God. Unknown by people, but known by God. Let that sink into our inner being. 

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You’re at the boarding gate, and it’s silent. It’s just you and no one else present. You check and double check your boarding pass, and you’re at the right gate. There’s this feeling of doubt and fear. Where’s the flight? 

Finally, you gather enough courage/humility to step up to the screens and check for an update – just to find out that the gate has changed. But it shouldn’t. At least without someone telling me. But somehow, others knew. 

The only thing that keeps me from getting upset is the image of looking foolish before my fellow passengers. But I’m supposed to be patient, right? Or, I should be more forgiving. Yet what keeps me silent is not what really should keep me silent. 

But still, I should have known. No?

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 God’s plan was for both of them and their posterity to live in obedience and relationship to God forever. That’s it. 

Imagine with me for a moment that sin never entered this world. What would this world look like?  

** Their relationship with God would be in perfect harmony. 

** People would live in peace with each other. 

** The earth would perpetually produce crops with full potential. 

** Work would be a delight rather than being toilsome. 

Would you like to contribute to this list? Mention it in the comments. 

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I haven’t found one scripture in the Bible where God instructs Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob to leave the land of Canaan and go to Egypt. In fact, several times, God warned these patriarchs not to go to Egypt.

An opportunity was presented to Jacob at a vulnerable time, and he took the bait. Everything seemed like a dream come true. They were in a land of plenty with lots of opportunity for success and advancement. But things turned sour in time, and the dream turned into a nightmare.

But what if he stayed in the land of Canaan? Or, he could have stayed in Egypt till the famine was over in the land of Canaan.

I suppose history would have been different if Jacob would have consulted God about this move. But maybe he felt that it was such a great opportunity that it had to be God’s plan.

Anything in your history that points to dreams turning into a never ending nightmare? You seized great and promising opportunities hoping for a better future. Maybe it’s too late to return to where you came from.

But you may want to reset to a mode of consulting God and reset yourself to a habit of obedience.


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(Genesis 26:12-14)
Famine had overtaken the land. There was hunger and devastation everywhere. Those who could, fled to other lands for greener pasture.

But in the midst of such impossible circumstances, one man was asked by God not to leave for God would be his provider. “And Issac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold.” (Genesis 26:12-14)

No way! That cannot happen. Or, could it be that Isaac had some farming hack that no one else had? Maybe he stole from the crops of others. He became rich at the expense of the rest of the people of the land.

Or maybe, God intervened and performed another creative act similar to the Genesis account. But isn’t the universe a closed system? Can matter be created?

Let’s put the questions aside and put our obedience to work. See God show up and bless the work of your hands. I’m not saying that it always works like that. But for Isaac, that’s what happened. He became so wealthy and powerful that they asked him to leave their land as he was becoming too powerful.

That’s an impossible yield.


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Just imagine stepping into a sizable inheritance left by one of your ancestors. Not only would it be a surprise, but you would wonder how someone cared so much for you without knowing you in person. 

Now imagine a spiritual inheritance from your ancestors that pays not only financially but also spiritually, socially, and with an overall favor on your lives…Just because one of your ancestors lived in obedience to God. Such thoughts would not only be unimaginable but we may also doubt it’s legitimacy. 

When God spoke to Isaac in Genesis 26:4-5, it was during a severe famine and calamity throughout the region. God offered promises of many descendants, land, and a multi-national impact. All of this because his father Abraham was obedient to God. 

Let these words sink in to your heart: 

[4] I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring, all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, [5] because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” (Gen 26:4-5)

I wouldn’t want to sit aimlessly hoping and waiting for a sizable inheritance. I might be waiting for too long. But here is an opportunity to think of our future generations. Our obedience to God that is complete and without reservation can be a great asset to us and to generations that we may never see. 

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