“Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God—my God—will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.” (1 Chronicles 28:20, NKJV)

There is a certain comfort that comes from knowing a veteran. Someone who has been through a battle is a good source for how to survive a battle. Someone who has journeyed to a distant land is a good reference for getting there, seeing the sites, and not getting ripped off in the process! David was a battle veteran, and he had journeyed to many destinations with the LORD. He had found that God had been with him wherever he went. Even at his lowest point, after the affair with Bathsheba, David discovered that God was faithful and did not leave nor forsake him. But David also learned that the LORD was worthy to be feared.

Now David was at the end of his life, and he desired to pour into his son Solomon the same lessons he had learned. David knew the temptations and pitfalls to avoid; he knew the strength and courage that was required to rule the people; he knew how important it was to know the LORD and to serve Him with a loyal heart. Solomon would need to embrace these same lessons if he were to successfully rule the kingdom.

Solomon faced a daunting task: to build the temple of the LORD. David had done his best to supply all the gold, silver, bronze, wood and stone that Solomon would need to construct this great house. He had prepared timber cutters, masons and other skilled laborers. He had even received directly from the LORD the plans for the temple (v. 19). Now it was up to Solomon to complete the work.

I find much comfort in this passage because our church is facing a daunting task. We are planning on breaking ground this spring to build our new facility on property we purchased twenty years ago. This has been a long and arduous journey with many twists and turns. It has not been without setbacks and disappointments. But through it all, God has never lifted the burden nor allowed us to become discouraged. We have seen him answer prayer after prayer in His time. Now as we near the end of our journey, we need all the strength and courage we can muster. We know that the LORD is with us, and we believe that where God guides, God provides. But we must remain focused and unified and persevere to the end.

We are not the first to fight this battle; nor are we the first to make this journey. David, Solomon, Pastor Chuck, and many others have gone before us. Their wisdom and their examples are shining lights illuminating the unknown path before us. Above all, we have the confidence that God is for us, and He will never leave us nor forsake us—even after we have built His house. May God help us complete the work!