On Mount Moriah

Reading: 1 Kings 6; 2 Chronicles 3; Psalm 97; Romans 1 So Solomon began to build the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to David, his father. The Temple was built on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, the site that David had selected. (2 Chronicles 3:1 NLT) David chose Mount Moriah, the very place where Abraham, hundreds of years earlier, had offered his son Isaac to God, as the location for the Temple of the Lord. David collected the materials and prepared everything he possibly could for the successful construction of a magnificent Temple for God. Solomon put the plan in place, organized the team, and set to work. A little way into the project, God spoke to Solomon and reminded him that there’s more to it than just getting the project finished. 11 Then the Lord gave this message to Solomon: 12 “Concerning this Temple you are building, if you keep all my decrees and regulations and obey all my commands, I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father, David. 13 I will live among the Israelites and will never abandon my people Israel.” (1 Kings 6:11-13 NLT) God made us capable of dreaming big dreams, facing great challenges, and undertaking great projects. We’ve got to remember that even when we’re tackling the project and doing the work, God is interested in whether we’re living the life – living the way he set out for us to live and following his instructions carefully and obediently. Here’s a little perspective: Solomon’s Temple was destroyed later by an invading army. Ezra’s restoration of the Temple fell into disrepair as the people drifted from faith. Ezekiel’s prophesied Temple was never built. Herod’s Temple, built on the same spot, was destroyed by the Romans. Today a mosque occupies the spot. The thing that matters for eternity is that while we’re doing the work we’ve been given to do, we’re living the life we’re called to live. Prayer:

Father, I realized this morning that while we keep track of our successes and failures, you keep track of our hearts. I find that challenging, because I know we can take credit for successes and excuse failures, but our hearts are what they are and you see it all. Please help me to have clean hands and a pure heart in your sight. I want to live the life, not just do the work. Amen.