Building the Temple through Peace

Day 78: I Chronicles 22-29

It's interesting to me that God did not allow David to build the Temple. David was a man of God, a man loved by God and a man patterned after God's own heart. And yet, David did not get to build the Temple. And this passage says that the reason he didn't get to do so is because of all the violence he did while he lived--all the death, all the killing, and all the wars.

We have been in a time of war for over eight years (since 9/11 at least). It's hard to believe it's been that long. I don't like war. I like peace. I think we all like peace, and I think we all want it. We just have different ways of going about it. Here, though, we have the example of David who fought battles and wars and thought he was doing the right thing, yet in the end he didn't get to build the Temple--or even to see it--because of all the violence he had done during his lifetime.

I hope and pray that the wars we are in today will end soon--that there will be peace on earth soon. All this violence is not good for humanity. It's not good for our souls. While we may not be able to stop the wars or end the international violence, we can all make small steps to make our lives less violent. We can turn to Jesus and see the nonviolent way that he lived. We can cut out the fighting we do with our loved ones. We can think twice before we use our fists or our words for revenge. Together, small steps can make a big impact. May we all strive for peace. If we do, one day we, like David, will be able to see the Temple of the Lord.