Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.  Proverbs 16:3 NIV

A couple years ago I learned about my church’s history. They started out in a log school house in 1866 and then built a small wooden frame building. They made small additions and repairs through the years. The people started longing to build a new building in the 1930’s. Every so often the subject would come up, but they could never afford to build.  

Tragedy occurred in 1947 when the wood frame building burned. However, with the resources the church had saved, the aid of the members and the community, a new church was built and completely paid for within a few years. It housed a different generation of people, but the church’s dream of a new place of worship came to be.  

As I read of the desire of the people to build a place of worship, I started thinking about David’s desire to build a temple for the Lord. He had been a man of war. When the established kingdom was finally at rest, he wanted to build a permanent place for the Ark of the Covenant. However, God had other plans.

Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel. But the Lord said to my father David, “Whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for My name, you did well that it was in your heart. Nevertheless you shall not build the temple, but your son who will come from your body, he shall build the temple for My name.”  1 Kings 8:17-19 NKJV

Instead of being disappointed at being told by God he could not build the temple, David began preparing things for his son. David stored up silver, gold, bronze, and other items that he acquired from subduing his enemies and he dedicated those things to the Lord in anticipation of Solomon one day using it in the temple.

So all the work that King Solomon had done for the house of the Lord was finished; and Solomon brought in the things which his father David had dedicated: the silver and the gold and the furnishings. He put them in the treasuries of the house of the Lord.  1 Kings 7:51 NKJV

This gave me a new perspective on my dreams of life. There are so many things I wish I could do for God. I hope I will get to accomplish some of those things before my time on earth is over. However, just because I know there are some things I will never get to do, that doesn’t mean I need to stop working for the Lord in whatever way He allows. I can still strive to live a Godly life and hope my life will inspire others to continue to live for the Lord all their life. Perhaps God will use them to accomplish things that I never will. Maybe I’m a David, just meant to live my life and prayerfully prepare the way for my children and grandchildren to be Solomons, fulfilling God’s purposes in their lives.  

God does put desires in our heart to accomplish His will. We need to stay close enough to Him to realize which dreams are truly from Him and to work diligently toward, and which desires, although admirable, are not in His will for us.

Don’t allow unreached dreams to make you feel defeated. Purposefully serve the Lord. Go through whatever door He opens and be thankful for the door He leaves shut. Prepare future generations to serve the Lord all their lives. If you are a Solomon, if God has given you a great task to perform, pray for wisdom. And remember the ones who prepared you for that task.

Whether you are a David or a Solomon, stay faithful and the Lord will bless you in ways you could never imagine.

Heavenly Father, like David, I pray, “How great you are, Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.” (2 Samuel 7:22 NIV) May I have the same mindset, Lord, to praise you even if my personal dreams never come to pass. May I be faithful to follow you and Your plans for my life.  Thank you, Father. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

For additional encouragement, read 2 Samuel 7 and 8, and 1 Kings 7 and 8.