In 1 Chronicles 28:3, David is told that he would not be able to build a temple, a house for God to dwell in. There were character flaws within David’s life that prevented him from being used in the next phase of what he wanted to move into. By the command of God, the door was closed, there was no opportunity to move forward into that phase.
In our lives there are times when we, by our actions have closed the doors to what could have been an aspect of our future. Perhaps our sinful conduct has prevented us from moving ahead into something that God had once planned for us. Poor parenting, immoral actions, selfishness, wrong companions, laziness, wrong motives, or other bad choices may have altered relationships or closed opportunities to such as extent that they seem irreparable. This was the situation that David had found himself. Yet there is no indication that David argued over this with God, or that he was bitter over what God had decreed. He did not have a pity party, he did not forsake God because an opportunity for his life had been missed, nor did he go into months of depression. He did not blame others for the closed door.
Instead he made a choice. Though the door was closed for one area of his life, David still chose to look ahead. If he could not personally make a temple or dwelling place for God, he would do all that he could so that the next generation could do so. He was not just looking at the closed door and then giving up hope. In 1 Chronicles. 29:2 says that David “prepared with all his might” in arranging the resource and supplies so that his son could walk out what he was not able to.
We make many mistakes and sometimes these errors have long term consequences. Sometimes opportunities may even be permanently closed to us. In these situations we need to have the heart and mentality that David did. We should pour our lives into the next generation. Helping others to go further and do greater things than we can. Imparting what we have learnt from our successes and also what we have learnt from our failures. We may not even know what doors or opportunities have been closed for us, but nevertheless we can always be pouring our lives into those that come after us.
Take some time to pray, and reflect. What have you learned that God would want you to share with others? You may not know whom you should be sharing with, but ask our Lord to bring the right people into your sphere of contact, so that you can prepare others to go where you are not able to.
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