God’s Focus on Feelings:
God’s Keeping Power – Part 1

Scripture Reading:  1 Chronicles 29:14-20

Key Verse: 1 Chronicles 29:18

O Lord, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep this desire in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you.

Today’s scripture is a prayer from David as he intercedes for the people of God and his son Solomon.  God had told David that his desires to build a great temple were good but that he was not the man to do it.  God directed David to his son to accomplish the dream of a temple for God.

            In this prayer David prays that God will “keep this desire in the hearts” of the people.  David knew their feelings were exactly what God wanted for His people.  It was time to build a beautiful temple, a place for God’s people to focus their worship.  David believed that God worked in the inner beings of His people.  David was trusting God to keep working in them—in their feelings and desires.  David understood that if the people were going to truly accomplish the great work of building a temple, they would need to feel the passion for the work!

            God understands that about us; we work best when we feel the passion!  We must never discount our feelings as insignificant aspects in our walk with God.  Of course our faith is a more important factor, but feelings still count!  God works in them and through them.  Sometimes we don’t understand why we desire a certain project or work, but God is at work in us, using our feelings to accomplish His purposes!

Father, I open my inner being to you!  Place your desires in me!  Keep your desires in my heart that I might be pleasing to you.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.