Readings: 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8-12, 14,16; Psalm 89; Luke 1:67-79
The First Reading of today has always taught me a great lesson – that I should not counsel anyone relying solely on my own understanding, experience and feeling. I must open myself to God and allow Him to give me the precise message for the person.
Nathan (a prophet and David’s spiritual director) was consulted by David because of a good plan that he (David) had. Nathan was so impressed and told David to go ahead; he could not see why God wouldn’t approve of such a great plan. However, God sent Nathan back to go and change whatever he had told David. David’s plan was good and he would be blessed for it. However, God had prepared another person for that plan and that person was not David but his son.
Having said that, there are two things that I want us to reflect on today:
A. David remembered God not just in affliction but also in a season of prosperity and peace.
Many of us only remember God when things are falling apart, yet when things are falling in place, we are not mindful of God. We have something to learn today from David. God is not a person to be used or invoked in crises but a supreme being who loves us and He is always with us and should be worshipped, obeyed and loved no matter the season we are in.
Zechariah is another good example for us. When God opened his mouth, his first utterances were prophetic words of praise. When God answers our prayers, let us not take the blessing and forget the One who has blessed us.
B. Secondly, David wanted to build a house for God, but God said ‘no.’ Sometimes we have good ideas but God will say “no” to them. We must be willing to accept not just yes but also no from God. His yes and His no proceed from a place of love and eternal wisdom that is beyond our comprehension. Let us pray for humility, faith and spiritual maturity to be able to accept no from God without feeling rejected or becoming rebellious.
Oh, Holy Spirit, help me to make God the centre of my life, my thoughts, and decisions. May I love and honour Him no matter the season I am in. Help me to accept whatever He decides concerning me in every situation, without being angry, faithless or rebellious, Amen.
Sermon preached by Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Baraka-Gukena Okami on December 24, 2022