Have you ever been given, or taken, responsibility for something that you wondered if you could really accomplish it or pull it off?  Perhaps at work, you’ve been assigned a task that seems like it is beyond normal expectations.  Perhaps at church, you’ve “volunteered” to lead a ministry that reaches out to the homeless and hurting of your community and you’ve just been shown the research of how many people are in need.  Perhaps at home, you’ve decided to tackle a home improvement project that seems to grow in size, difficulty, and cost every time you look at it.  Whatever it is, there is probably something each of us can look at and think, “How am I going to do that?”

When I think of big, potentially overwhelming, “are you sure I can do this?”, kind of projects in the Bible, one of the ones at the top of my list is the building of the temple.  As I read the instructions that are given for the building of the temple and look at the material list of this construction project, I have to wonder if there weren’t times that Solomon thought to himself, “How am I going to do that?” 

Perhaps that is on David’s mind as he gives his son the instructions for building the temple of God.  Then, adding to any self-doubt Solomon may have had, David introduces his son to the entire assembly with these words, “My son Solomon, the one God has chosen, is young and inexperienced.  The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for human beings but for the Lord God.”  (1 Chronicles 29:1)  Wow!  What a confidence-building pep talk.  I know, that wasn’t the purpose of the introduction.  David was enlisting help for his son to accomplish the task before him.  The pep talk came earlier in chapter 28 of 1 Chronicles.  It is there that David gives Solomon words of wisdom that will equip him to take the lead on this monumental task.

In verse 6, David declares to Solomon and all the officials of Israel that it was God who had chosen Solomon to lead the nation and to build God’s house.  That is a powerful piece of information.  How many times when we have asked, “How am I going to do that?“, would we have worked harder, looked more intently for a solution, persevered longer under hardship, if we had only been confident that God had chosen us for the task that seemed so big?  I looked several days ago at the scripture Paul wrote, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”  Many times, we don’t get bogged down with the “who can be against us”  part of the question as much as we wonder and doubt “If God is for us?”.  We believe God can accomplish what He wills and desires, but is this it?  David sought to remove that doubt from Solomon’s mind.  He stated clearly, over and over, in front of many witnesses, “God has chosen you for this task”. 

Okay, pep talk is over.  . . . Solomon knows that God has selected him for the task at hand.  . . . Nothing can stop him now, God is on his side.  . . . But wait!  The pep talk isn’t over.  . . . There is something that Solomon needs to understand yet — something that has the power to impact every area of life.  David knows that as important as building this temple is, there are more important things for Solomon to understand, so he says these words:

“And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts.  If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.  Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house as the sanctuary.  Be strong and do the work.”  1 Chronicles 28:9-10

How often do we go from “How am I going to do that?”, to “Wow!  Look what I have done!”?  David is warning his son that he must remain completely devoted to God and constantly allow God to purify his motives, thoughts, and desires.  There is a hidden downside in being chosen by God to accomplish a monumental task — it is so easy to allow pride to creep in and steal credit and honor from God.  David seems to warn Solomon — don’t let this go to your head, this really isn’t about you. 

How often do you and I need that same warning?  Don’t let this go to your head, this really isn’t about you.  In the midst of doing, it is easy to lose focus and begin to have a divided heart.  We can’t live long with a divided heart.  Joshua put it this way, “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, . . . as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”  Elijah said it like this, “How long will you waver between two opinions?  If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”  Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters.  Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.”  Throughout scripture we see this call to a wholehearted devotion to God.  God knows if we are following Him grudgingly or passionately.  His desire is for us to continue steadfastly in a single-minded, single-hearted pursuit of Him in the midst of everything we do.

When life has you asking the question, “How am I going to do that?”, trust in an All-Knowing God that knows if you should do “that” and can empower and equip you to accomplish it if you should.  But never forget to do all to the glory of God.  The monumental tasks we accomplish are not about us or our glory, they’re about Him and His glory. 

May you and I be found faithful, doing everything God desires with a willing heart and pure motives.  May we truly love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.