Notice when David wanted to honor God by building a temple to house the Ark of the Covenant, the idea seemed like a no-brainer even to Nathan the prophet. However, God had other ideas for reasons that only God can comprehend. We need to be careful that we don’t fail to consult God about our own good ideas for honoring Him.
God wasn’t interested in the honor David wanted to give Him; He wanted to tell David of His plans to honor him. God knew what would honor and thrill David, and He was pleased to give it all to him. If that is the kind of person God is, why don’t we all have our heart’s desire from Him? One of the reasons might be revealed in what God said about the son of David who would rule in his place one day: “When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him…, but my steadfast love will not depart from him.” Sometimes God disciplines us when we need correction; but He always acts out of love for us. A loving parent doesn’t give his children whatever they want, because sometimes they want what is not good for them.
David was thrilled beyond words. Note his response: he asked God to fulfill the promises He had made. Because God had made those promises, he had the boldness to ask for the very things God had promised. Why did he need to do that, if God had promised them? One reason might be that he valued the promises so much that he didn’t want to miss out on them. Should we honor God’s promises by doing the same? We need to ask Him to do what He promised us He would do for His New Covenant people; claiming His promises.