God wants to bless all aspects of our lives as a powerful testimony to His abundant grace. He also bestows blessings because He loves us unconditionally and wants only our very best. Taking time to acknowledge the One who faithfully walks beside us, meditating on and listening to Him, allows us to pray with confidence as David did: “May the house of Your servant be blessed forever” (2 Sam. 7:29).
Dr. Charles Stanley: When you
trusted Jesus Christ as your
Savior you gained many assets.
Life has never been the same
since you trusted Him
as your Savior.
And one of the most powerful
ones, when I think about all the
promises He’s made, when He
said, “I will never leave you
nor forsake you.”
Never means no matter what
happens, I will never at any
time, under any condition, for
any reason I will never leave
you nor forsake you.
God is with us, living within us
when we trust the Lord Jesus
Christ as our personal Savior.
And when I think about our
passage of Scripture, it’s in
Second Samuel chapter seven.
Now somebody may say,
“Well, where is Samuel?”
He’s in here.
Just Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua,
Judges, Ruth, First,
Second Samuel.
Very important you turn to that
because I want us to read this
incident in the life of David.
And when I think about what he
prayed, I think, Lord, everyone
should be able, or at least
desire to say the same thing he
said about his household.
So, I want us to look at this
and read, beginning in this
eighteenth verse, because Nathan
had just talked to him about
what God was going to do.
And so this is what happens in
the eighteenth verse of Second
Samuel chapter seven: “Then
David the king went in and sat
before the Lord and said,”
now watch this,
“Who am I, O Lord,
and what is my house that You
have brought me this far?
And yet this was insignificant
in Your eyes, O Lord God.”
Now remember, every time he says
that he means oh Sovereign God,
All-powerful God.
“For You have spoken also of
the house of Your servant
concerning the distant future.
And this is the custom of man,
O Lord God.
Again what more can David say
to You?
For You know Your servant,
O Lord God!
For the sake of Your word, and
according to Your heart, You
have done all this greatness to
let Your servant know.
For this reason You are great, O
Lord God; for there is none like
You, and there is no God besides
You, according to all that we
have heard with our ears.
And what one nation on the earth
is like Your people Israel, whom
God went to redeem for Himself
as a people and to make a name
for Himself, and to do a great
thing for You and awesome thing
for Your land, and before Your
people whom you have redeemed
for Yourself from Egypt,
from nations and their gods?
You have established for
Yourself Your people Israel as
Your own people forever, and
You, O Lord God, become
their God.
Now therefore, O Lord God, the
word that You have spoken
concerning Your servant and his
house, confirm it forever, and
do as You have spoken, that Your
name may be magnified forever,
by saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is
God over Israel’; and may the
house of Your servant David be
established before You.
For You, O Lord of hosts,
the God of Israel, have made
a revelation to Your servant,
saying, ‘I will build you a
house’; therefore, Your servant
has found courage to pray this
prayer to You.
Now, O Lord God, You are God,
and Your words are truth, and
You have promised this good
thing to Your servant.
Now therefore, may it please You
to bless the house of Your
servant, that it may continue
forever before You.
For You, O Lord God, have
spoken; and with Your blessing
may the house of Your servant be
blessed forever.”
Could you say that about
your house?
Look at that.
“O Lord God, may the house
of Your servant be blessed
forever.”
Could you say that about your
household, about your family?
Lord God, would You bless my
family forever?
And so the reason I read that
whole prayer, because the more
you read it and I’ve read it now
how many times this week what
a precious approach to God, and
what a simple request he made
on the one hand.
Would You bless my house, O God?
So, let’s think for a moment.
When you think about your
household, husbands and wives,
and children could you say,
“Bless my house O Lord God”?
Well, he believed he could say
it and I think if we have things
right in our house we can say
the same thing.
If there’s something that God
needs to change then He’d show
us what that is.
So, think about this.
David’s doing what all of us
should do every once in a while.
Sit before the Lord, meditate
upon Him, listen to Him, and
make our request to Him.
Lord, bless this house.
If there’s something in your
household needs to be changed
just ask Him.
Lord, I want You to change this
and I want You to change that.
I want You to show me what needs
to happen in my household.
So David’s doing all of the
things that we need to do when
it comes to praying about our
families and so forth.
Now, reviewing the past should
motivate us to take a fresh look
at our future.
Reviewing the past should
motivate us to take a fresh look
at our future.
Number one, our relationships.
What about our family, our
friendships, people we work
with, worship with, play with?
We’re looking at all of that.
Secondly, we should think about
our plans and our projects.
What plans did you make that
you fulfilled and some that
you didn’t?
Projects that you started, that
you never fulfilled because you
just forgot about them?
Think about the successes or
failures you’ve experienced
in the past year.
Did you ask God to get you
into that?
Did you ask God to show you
the way?
Did you ask God about the timing
you have something you started?
Did you ask Him if it was His
will for you to buy this car or
that house or something that
would cause you to have
great debt?
And it weighs upon you.
And you think about it.
And you find yourself grieved
about it but it’s too late–
you started it.
Think about our successes and
our failures in the past year.
Where was God when all these
things began to happen?
Think about your devotional life
in the past year.
And the Word of God–how much of
it did you read?
And what about your prayer life?
How much time did you spend?
We’re asking God to bless this
house; but if I don’t pray and
I don’t read the Word of God,
can I expect God to really bless
my house?
I don’t think so.
And many people wake up in
the mornings thinking,
“God, how am I going to get
this done?”
They should have asked, “Lord,
what should I do and what should
I not do?”
And God is a loving God.
And think about this.
He’s provided the best for us.
He’s provided everything we
need, not everything we want.
And so we have to be disciplined
enough to ask God, “What would
You have me do?”
I believe God would have you
feel content.
Doesn’t mean that you’re not
having and will not have
problems or situations or
circumstances that are difficult
in your life.
But God wants the best for
His children.
And so, when David asked God,
“Lord, bless this house.
Oh Lord, bless this house.”
Can you say that about
your house?
That is your family,
your household.
Could you say that you try to be
very diligent in what you do and
how you spend your money; and
how you spend, invest your life?
God has the best for His
children and a weighty debt is
not one of the best things for
His children.
So, we have to be wise.
And when we think about what
David prayed, “Lord, bless
this house.”
Have to ask yourself the
question, “Can I pray for God to
bless my house if I know that
I’m doing something that is
dividing my mind?
Probably can’t sleep at night
sometimes.
When I look at that new car
I bought, I shouldn’t have
done it.
When I look at the things in my
house that need to be repaired
and I’ve neglected that for
something else I wanted.”
So he’s praying.
And think about this.
Think about the health habits in
your life this past year, were
you conscious of where you are?
What your diet, for example.
Your exercise?
The health habits you have.
Are you one of those persons
who’s, if you watch TV, here’s
what you’ll discover, and I
think I’m pretty accurate.
About every third ad on
television is for some
prescription.
Or maybe you should think about
God’s the great healer.
He can heal us of lots
of things.
I’m not saying you never need
any medicines, but I’m simply
saying people are quick
to make decisions and not ask
God, “Lord, what would You have
me do?”
And what David is doing here
in a big way, he’s saying,
“Lord, bless my house.
Bless this house.”
And in order to pray that
prayer, I need to examine what
goes on in my house.
So, when I look at this prayer
and realize when God is my
faithful companion, He’s not
going to mislead me.
He’s not going to neglect giving
me wisdom and direction and
insight and sensitivity to
what’s happening.
What about what’s happening to
my children?
What are they watching while
I’m gone?
Have I been the kind of parent
who says,
“Because my son wants it,
I’m going to buy it for him.
Because my daughter wants it,
I’m going to be sure she
has it.”
And having everything we want
is not good.
And if you don’t believe that,
look in the Word of God, the
things He took away from people.
And so, David is praying
a prayer for God to bless
his house.
Bless what goes on.
We have the right to pray all of
these things if we’re willing
to do something about
what God says.
And so, I just wanted you to
think about this question.
Can you pray this prayer?
God, bless this house.
That is, bless my family; bless
my work; bless my attitudes.
Am I disciplined before
my children?
Am I pure before my husband
or my wife?
Bless this house, God.
And I believe that when people
pray that prayer, God will bless
the house.
He’ll make–He’ll probably lead
you to make some changes
if necessary, or He may not.
But God wants to bless the house
of His children because it is
a testimony to everybody around
you–wherever you work.
Can you talk about how God’s
blessed your family and
your household?
How He’s provided for you?
Or do you go to work on Monday
morning and you’re down
everything around you because
debt is weighing you down?
You say, “Well, what’s that got
to do with my spiritual life?”
Everything.
Whatever divides my mind from
God is not good.
And so, David said,
“Lord, bless this house.”
And when I think about that,
I think about all the promises
God’s made to everyone who’s
a child of God.
Now if you’re not a Christian,
it won’t work.
I’m going to give you–
listen–I’m going to give
you ten promises of God that
He’s made to us.
Now listen carefully.
They’re applicable and I can
apply them to my life if I am
submissive to His will; willing
to submit to His will in
every area.
Doesn’t mean that everybody
grows up quickly, but it listen.
God knows where we are in
our spiritual life.
We’re not all in the same place.
So, we can’t judge one another.
But God is willing because we
have the Holy Spirit to show us.
What we can do and what we
can become, if we’re willing
to listen to Him.
And so, I would ask you this
question.
When’s the last time God heard
you pray for your family?
When’s the last time you heard
God heard you cry out to Him for
help and direction?
In other words, what’s your
household like?
And David’s praying, “God,
if You could see fit to bless
this household–which God was
going to build.
So, think about this.
And I think about there,
there are ten of these.
All of us who are believers–
now watch this.
If you happen to be here and
you’re not saved, you’re not
a Christian, watch this.
We’re not being critical.
I want you to watch what you’re
missing.
Watch what you’re missing
if you’re not a believer,
not a follower of Jesus.
Look what you could have.
I’m going to list ten of them.
Look what you could have.
And it’s not a matter of
somebody saying, “Well that’s
your interpretation.”
If you believe in black and
white, here it is.
There’s no question of whether
it could mean that or not.
It means every one of them; so
let’s start with this one.
Here’s the promise that you and
your household.
God has promised to walk
with us.
What does He say?
He’ll never leave us nor
forsake us.
Every child of God has the
promise of everlasting presence
of God within us.
He’ll walk with us.
Secondly, there’s a promise that
He’ll guide us.
There are decisions we have to
make; we don’t always know
exactly the right thing to do.
He says He’ll guide us with
His eye.
That, that’s His way of saying,
that God with His omniscience,
knowing all things,
will guide us in every
circumstance if we’re willing
to listen.
And I think about how many
people are miserable today
because they’re burdened
with debt.
Or because they’ve made
decisions that they knew when
they made them they weren’t the
right thing to do.
It was the popular thing to do,
but it wasn’t wise.
And now it’s costly.
Guiding us–“I’ll guide you with
My eye upon you,” He says.
He listens to us.
And when I think about suppose
God didn’t listen to us–
where would we be?
He listens to us.
Because that’s who He is.
God listens to us.
He’ll answer our prayer,
if we’re willing to go about it
in this manner.
Ask, trust, wait, and obey Him.
God wants the best for
His children.
And what David was praying here,
more than he realize–he was
praying for God to bless
his house.
That is to bless his family.
God is willing to bless you in
ways that you hah–can’t even
imagine.
You say, “Well, I’m not this,
I’m not that.”
That’s not the issue.
Remember this.
Your relationship to God is not
through this, that,
or the other.
Your relationship to God
is personal.
It’s between you and Holy God.
And I can tell you, He has the
best prepared for you.
You say, “Well, I’ve blown it.”
You know what?
God knows how to forgive you and
give you a new beginning.
And what does He promise?
He promises to listen to us.
He will hear us.
And then of course, there’s that
promise to encourage us.
Encourage us when we’re
exhausted; when we’re sort
of worn out.
And all through the Scripture
there’s promise after promise
after promise of His presence,
His power.
He’ll provide all of our needs
according to His–watch
this–He’ll provide all of our
needs according to His riches
in glory.
Then He says, for example, that
He will empower us.
And so, what does that mean?
That means that when you were
saved, the Holy Spirit came to,
first of all, seal you as
a child of God.
That forever you’re one of
His children.
And He is there to enable you,
help you, give you wisdom and
direction and guidance.
That’s why He came.
He gives all those verses in
the Scripture.
He came to give you guidance and
direction; and then to empower
you, to equip you, to enable
you, to strengthen you.
In other words, whatever the
Holy Spirit guides you to do,
He’s there to help you get it
done.
That’s a–listen, that’s how
fair God is.
God doesn’t require something of
us He will not help us do.
Somebody says, “Well, I couldn’t
do so and so.”
And there are many whom I’ve met
in the world in the past whom
God very specifically called
to preach.
And because they didn’t think
they could; because they didn’t
think they could speak; because
this, that and the other–
they refused to do it.
I’ve never met one yet that
was happy.
I’ve watched men cry in their
own household visiting them when
they had to say, “God called me
to preach when I was a young man
or when I was in my twenties,
and I just knew I couldn’t
do that.
I couldn’t stand up in front
of people.”
Give all kind of excuses.
But here’s what I’ve noticed.
Every single one of them
was miserable.
And secondly, the wife was
miserable.
I didn’t know too much about
the children, but every single
family was miserable.
You cannot–and this is the most
dangerous thing I know of–
to have a specific word from God
that He wants you to do, and
then you work it out so you’ll
do something totally different.
And then you expect God
to bless you.
You say, “Well, what about
people disobey God and they get
on and have all kind
of blessing?”
All kinds–you named it.
It looks like it’s good
but it’s not.
And watch this.
You don’t know how miserable
people are.
And people go to work every day,
put on a smile.
Soon as they get out of work,
they have a frown and a hurt and
a pain, so they drive by to get
something that cut off some of
the pain and they just get
deeper and deeper and
worse and worse.
And what’s David praying?
God, bless my house.
So, think about it.
The Holy Spirit is there to help
us do every single thing God
wants us to do.
Now think about that.
Somebody says, “Well, I can’t
live a Christian life.”
Join the crowd.
None of us can apart from
the Holy Spirit.
We’ll all make mistakes; we all
sin against God at times.
We’ll all violate something that
we know is not right, that
is not right for us at times
in our life.
And God’s willing to forgive.
But if we violate it, He says if
we do what?
Watch this carefully; you can’t
change this.
People don’t believe it.
We reap what we sow, more than
we sow, later than we sow, and
there are consequences when
we do.
There’s a principle of God.
The world doesn’t believe that.
But look around.
Life proves it.
People don’t believe it.
We reap what we sow.
And if, think about how absolute
that is.
Go to the corn field.
You have beans?
No.
You got corn.
Everything God says is
absolutely the truth,
unquestionable truth.
Whether I believe it or not,
or understand it or not’s not
an issue, necessary for you.
But we disobey God and then we
think, “Well oh,” watch this,
“Oh, God understands.”
How many times I’ve heard that?
God understands.
“Well, I know He called me,
but I know He wants me
to do that, but I can’t do
that because.”
No.
What you’re saying is God
made a mistake.
What you’re implying is that God
doesn’t know what He’s doing.
Whatever God calls us to do,
He throws heaven and earth
behind it to get it done.
That’s who He is.
Whatever He requires of you,
He–watch this–whatever He
requires of you, He assumes
full responsibility to help you
get it done.
Now halfway through it, if you
decide, “No, I can’t do that.”
Then you suffer the consequences
of total disobedience to God.
What I want you to see is this.
Make the wisest decision you
could possibly make.
I’m going to be obedient to God
no matter what.
I know I may fail at times.
I may not understand.
I’m going to obey God as best
I know no matter what.
You’ll have the best year of
your life up to this point.
We reap what we sow, more than
we sow, later than we sow.
The vast majority of people in
the world don’t believe that.
Vast host of Americans
don’t believe it.
And a lot of people who go
to church don’t believe it.
We reap what we sow, more than
we sow, later than we sow.
It’s, listen, you say,
“Well, that’s a warning?”
It is a warning but praise God
it’s a blessing.
If I reap what I sow, let’s get
on a right side of that–then
I’m going to sow the right
language; sow the right morals.
I’m going to sow the right
work ethic.
In other words, it’s up to us.
God is behind every person
helping who is willing to be
obedient to Him.
That’s who this God is.
That is, He’s provided the best,
given us the avenue for the
best, given us His guidebook for
the best and He’s, listen,
you know what’s behind
these promises?
God has the best for His
children.
So as you sit and listen
to this, you have,
you are deciding.
You’re deciding right now,
“Do I want God’s best?”
What is that going to cost me?
Why don’t you say, “How is that
going to bless me?”
You see, oftentimes people
think, “Well, what is God going
to require of me if I do
thus and so?”
Why don’t you say, “What is this
awesome God of ours got in mind
for me if I obey Him?
What does He have in mind?”
In other words, God expects,
watch this.
He expects us to expect
the best.
Watch this, because He is
the best.
Because God is the best, He has
the right to expect the best of
us and He has the right to
expect us to expect the best.
That’s not the way most people
are living.
It’s a choice we make.
And what I want you to see
how simple this is.
Then, to protect us.
Does that mean you’ll never have
any problems?
No.
Does it mean no suffering and
no hurt and pain?
Doesn’t mean that.
But here’s what it does mean.
In the midst of my suffering,
heartache, disappointments, pain
and all the rest–Holy God is
there to see me through it and
to walk with me through it
because God is head of
my house.
And so think about this.
This Holy God will turn every
bad circumstance into something
good if we’re walking
in His will.
Sometimes that’s hard to see;
and there are people who turn
away from God because they don’t
understand why He’s allowed
certain things to happen
in their life.
Watch this carefully.
Do you believe God’s
omniscient–knows all?
Omnipotent–has all power?
Omnipresent–is always there
wherever you are?
Do you think He makes
any mistakes?
No.
If He does something I don’t
understand, what do I do?
I recognize that He is Almighty
God, Sovereign God who knows
what’s best.
I may not be able to see it.
I look down the future.
It doesn’t fit, look like it
fits at all.
But I know in my heart He makes
no mistakes.
He’s the only One who makes
no mistakes.
And He’s an awesome God who
wants the best for us.
He protects us and
He forgives us.
Think about this.
Think about how many sins
He’s forgiven you for.
Don’t you think God deserves
something?
You think about what He’s
forgiven us all for.
Things that we don’t even,
things we’ve forgotten that
have not been right maybe
in our life.
Willing to forgive.
And whatever God forgives,
He does not throw back at us.
If He forgives it, it’s gone
and forgotten.
If we, oh, listen to this.
If we confess our sins–that
means I agree with Him
about them.
If we confess our sins–listen
to this–faithful.
If I should ask you, “Do you
believe God is faithful?”
What would you say?
Yes, He’s faithful.
That is always the same.
There’s no change in Him.
And so, we know that He’s
a faithful God.
And all of His promises will
come to pass.
And He’s a God who has proven
over and over and over again
to forgive us.
Watch, think about this.
Before God ever saved you and
me, He could see this long list
of sins that we were going
to commit.
He didn’t say,
“That’s hopeless.”
Hm-hm.
He didn’t, He didn’t say that.
But He looked at the cross and
He said, “I’m going to forgive
him and I’ll forgive her for
every single one of them,
because they’re My children.
I’m going to bless them.
As long as they’ll just obey Me,
I’m I have the best for them.”
You see, the truth is all of us
are where we are as a result of
decisions we’ve made–how much
we’ve trusted God,
how much we’ve doubted Him.
He’s provided the best for us.
He loves us unconditionally.
Think about this.
Think about this.
Nobody in the whole wide world
can promise to love you
unconditionally.
They may say it.
Only God can love us
unconditionally.
That means no matter what His
love is always there.
And we can look at the cross
and see that.
And then think about this.
He’s secured for us eternity.
We’re saved for all eternity.
“For God so loved the world that
He gave His only Begotten Son,
that whosoever believes in Him,
should not perish but have
everlasting life.”
And there are many other verses.
Now, let me run down them
quickly.
Listen to it.
Here’s what He’s promised us.
He promised to walk with us,
guide us, listen to us,
encourage us, empower us,
provide for us, protect us,
forgive us, love us, and secure
us eternally.
Can you beat that?
No–that’s right.
Say it a little louder.
congregation: No.
Dr. Stanley: No.
You can’t–think about this.
Walk with us, guide us, listen,
encourages, empowers, provide
for us, protect us, forgive us,
love us and secure us eternally.
Wow!
Ten awesome promises of
Almighty God.
Why would anybody not want
to follow Him?
Why would anybody not want
to surrender their life to Him?
Why would anybody want to live
a life in this world
without Him?
One more time.
Promise to walk with us, guide
us, listen to us, encourage us,
empower us, provide for us,
protect us, forgive us love us,
secure us.
Have I missed anything?
That’s the God you and I serve.
So I want to challenge you to
take this message home with you.
Get by yourself and ask God to
speak to you about it.
I wouldn’t tell you what
to emphasize.
“Lord, You, here’s what You’ve
said You’ve done for us–
all ten of these.
And you’re doing them
all the time.
Show me what You want to say
to me, Lord.”
And somewhere in that ten,
you’re going to find yourself
saying, “Lord, mmmm, I wasn’t
sure about that, but now I am.”
What I want you to see is this.
This loving God, all-knowing,
all-forgiving, loving God, loves
us with a love that’s eternal,
unfading, never-ending–
so strong, so powerful,
that He’s willing to forgive
all of our sins.
And when we die, they can say
of us, “Absent from the body,
present with the Lord.”
Amen?
[congregation applauding]
Now, you may be listening
or watching and thinking,
“Well, I don’t know
whether that works or not.”
You know how you’ll find out?
Try it.
Listen, there’s no
disappointment in Jesus–
none whatsoever.
And I challenge you wherever you
are, whatever you’re doing,
to stop when this message is
over and ask God,
“Lord, speak to my heart.
Show me if I’ve heard the truth.
Work in my life, Lord.”
And if you’re not saved, first
step is surrender your life
to the Lord Jesus Christ
and watch Him work.
Watch this.
Then you can pray with David,
“Oh Lord, bless this house.”
What an awesome change can take
place in your life, and I trust
that you’ll pray that prayer.
Father, we love You and praise
You and thank You for
Your grace.
Love so abounding!
So supernatural.
So perfectly fitted for
each of us.
And I pray that somebody,
somewhere will stop, confess
their sin, surrender their life
to You, and let You demonstrate
how awesome You are in
every area of their life.
Thank You, Lord God,
Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit
for giving to us everything
we need to become everything
You’ve planned for us,
in Jesus’s name, amen.