SCRIPTURE:
2 So David gave orders to assemble the foreigners residing in Israel, and from among them he appointed stonecutters to prepare dressed stone for building the house of God. 3 He provided a large amount of iron to make nails for the doors of the gateways and for the fittings, and more bronze than could be weighed. 4 He also provided more cedar logs than could be counted, for the Sidonians and Tyrians had brought large numbers of them to David…So David made extensive preparations before his death…6 Then he called for his son Solomon and charged him to build a house for the Lord, the God of Israel…11 “Now, my son, the Lord be with you, and may you have success and build the house of the Lord your God, as he said you would.
1 Chronicles 22:2-11
OBSERVATION:
If you could play a significant part in God’s plan, but you would not get the credit for you? If God asked you to do the right thing, but you would receive none of the blessings, would you? If God told you that the thing you wanted to do would not be accomplished by you, but by the generation after you, would you empower them to complete it?
These were the conditions David faced when it came to building God’s temple. David wanted to build God a grand temple as a daily place of worship for God’s people and a permanent place of residence for the Ark of the Covenant––symbolic of God’s power and presence in those days. And this was a grand, God-honoring vision that God wanted completed. But there was a problem: God didn’t want David to do it. He wanted Solomon––David’s son––to complete the temple. The temple wasn’t for David’s generation; it was for the next generation.
And what does David do? He doesn’t pull his support for the temple; he increases it. He blesses the next generation and enables them to complete the task by:
1. Providing Monetary Resources
Based on biblical accounts and modern estimates, David invested an astronomical amount into Solomon’s temple. Dedicating both personal treasures and national resources to the temple, estimated to be valued conservatively at $20 billion. David didn’t waste the resources for himself; he generously and willingly blessed the next generation with it.
2. Imparting Spiritual Blessings
David did not only bless the next generation monetarily; he blessed them spiritually. David did not have any bitterness, disappointment, or anger toward the next generation; he blessed them generously. He conferred spiritual power, unity, and favor upon Solomon, blessing him to build the temple, rather than preventing it from him.
3. Lavishing His love
David gave his love to Solomon. Beyond physical and spiritual resources, the next generation needed love. And David backed Solomon and his generation with his love, encouragement, and support. This fueled them not only to complete God’s temple, but succeed in life.
APPLICATION:
You are called to support, bless, and empower the next generation.
God has special assignments for you, but there will be things in life that you want to accomplish that God deems is not for you to do. And when God tells you it’s the next generation’s assignment, it is your responsibility not only to obey the Lord, but to empower the next generation. How? By:
1. Supporting Them With Resources
God has blessed you with resources. Don’t squander it and spend it all on yourself; pass on those blessings to the next generation. Invest in them and empower them to make a difference for God long after you’re gone. Leave a legacy through your investment.
2. Imparting Spiritual Blessings Upon Them
Don’t hinder them; help them. There is a multigeneration inheritance that God only imparts when generations unite together for Him. Don’t quench God’s supernatural blessings from the next generation; bless them, lay hands on them, and pray for them. Align your will with God’s supernatural will.
3. Lavishing Your Love On Them
Don’t underestimate the power of love. The next generation does not just need your love; they desire your love. Every person wants to be seen, known, and loved, and when you lavish your love on the next generation, you empower them to complete God’s assignment and succeed in life.
God has blessed you with every spiritual blessing you have. And some of those blessings are not for you; it’s for the generation after you. Don’t withhold your blessings from the next generation. Invest in them, empower them, and bless them in the name of Jesus, so that His Kingdom will continue to come on Earth long after you’re called to Heaven.
PRAYER:
God,
Thank You for blessing me with everything I have. I recognize today that some of those blessings are not for me; it’s for the generations after me. Empower me to empower the next generation. Help me to be generous with the generosity You’ve given me. And allow me to bless them with the blessings You have lavished on me. I love You, Lord. Thank You for loving me and for allowing me the privilege of blessing the next generation.
In Jesus’ name
Amen
