May 13

I noticed that the phrase missing – “as the Lord had directed His servant…” Solomon seemed to have some creative license with this temple unlike Moses and the “tent” in the desert. Solomon went BIG! He thought that God was worth extravagance and he delivered it! When I get some leeway, do I deliver extravagantly? When I have the freedom, do I go all out, giving it my all, performing with excellence and finishing strong? Hmmm…. That is something to think about.

It took 7 years to complete the temple and more time to completely furnish it. That spoke to me. 7 years is a long time in anyone’s eyes. 7 years is a long to time be involved with a project. 6 years is a long time to be in the middle of a project and still give it your best effort. God is asking me if I will bear up under construction – even if it takes a long time. I, like most of you, like fast results. I want to work out for a month and have a ripped body, or I want to invest for 6 months in the market and triple my money, but that usually doesn’t happen. There is no doubt that I could be under a “special” time of results, but usually, everything takes more time than I would like it to, especially “temple” construction. I wish I would just be different sometimes, but God takes His time as a Master Craftsman molding me into the image of His Son. I am not after perfection, just a little more gold to cover the rough spots.