RIGHT MOTIVES

1 Chronicles 29:16-19
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.

David’s Prayer of Praise

16 “O Lord our God, even this material we have gathered to build a Temple to honor your holy name comes from you! It all belongs to you! 17 I know, my God, that you examine our hearts and rejoice when you find integrity there. You know I have done all this with good motives, and I have watched your people offer their gifts willingly and joyously. 18 “O Lord, the God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, make your people always want to obey you. See to it that their love for you never changes. 19 Give my son Solomon the wholehearted desire to obey all your commands, laws, and decrees, and to do everything necessary to build this Temple, for which I have made these preparations.”


Following God’s instructions, David gathered the materials needed to build the Temple … God’s House. It didn’t matter to David that he would not be allowed to be the builder. This honor would pass to his son Solomon. When David offered his prayer of praise for the work, we hear words from his heart. He was making the preparations not out of some sense of duty but rather out of obedience. His motivation was God centered. David’s prayer for his son and for the nation was that they would all have right motives … “…make your people always want to obey you.” (emphasis mine).