Therefore Thy Servant Hath Found in His Heart to Pray Before Thee

1 Chronicles 16:37–18:17 Romans 2:1-24 Psalm 10:16-18 Proverbs 19:8-9

Therefore Thy Servant Hath Found in His Heart To Pray Before Thee
And David the king came and sat before the LORD, and said, Who am I, O LORD God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? And yet this was a small thing in thine eyes, O God; for thou hast also spoken of thy servant’s house for a great while to come, and hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O LORD God. What can David speak more to thee for the honour of thy servant? for thou knowest thy servant. O LORD, for thy servant’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this greatness, in making known all these great things. O LORD, there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And what one nation in the earth is like thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be his own people, to make thee a name of greatness and terribleness, by driving out nations from before thy people, whom thou hast redeemed out of Egypt? For thy people Israel didst thou make thine own people for ever; and thou, LORD, becamest their God. Therefore now, LORD, let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house be established for ever, and do as thou hast said. Let it even be established, that thy name may be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel: and let the house of David thy servant be established before thee. For thou, O my God, hast told thy servant that thou wilt build him an house: therefore thy servant hath found in his heart to pray before thee. And now, LORD, thou art God, and hast promised this goodness unto thy servant: now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be before thee for ever: for thou blessest, O LORD, and it shall be blessed for ever. – 1 Chronicles 17:16-27

The Goodness of God Leadeth Thee to Repentance
Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who will render to every man according to his deeds: to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; but glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: for there is no respect of persons with God. – Romans 2:1-11

We all have things in our lives that God wants to change. Sometimes those things are evident, and the whole world can see, but sometimes those things are hidden in the smallest corners of your heart, and only God knows. Sometimes those hidden things seem minor in our eyes, but in God’s eyes, there are no minor things, and the hidden things will be exposed if they are not dealt with even as the evident things are. He wants us to look like Jesus more and more each day until we meet Him and are like Him. Maybe when we are tempted to judge another for their sin, we should look honestly at what we have hidden and look honestly about whether we are allowing God to change us in that area. Maybe we should remember what we looked like when we first met God and how far He has brought us. Perhaps we should focus on the goodness of God that brings us to repentance and that His goodness is there for each person if they are willing to receive. Maybe we should spend our time praying that today they will encounter His goodness; and that today we will.

Thou Hast Heard the Desire of the Humble
LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear: To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress. – Psalm 10:17-18

Get Wisdom, Keep Understanding
He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good. – Proverbs. 19:8