Taking the Initiative

There are times in the Bible when people took the initiative and the Lord was pleased. These are times when people didn't wait for the Lord to tell them to do something, but went ahead with what was in their heart. Of course there are times when people have done things without consulting the Lord with devastating consequences, but yet we see these times where He was pleased with what came from a person's heart.

Jacob was on his way to go get a wife when he laid down and slept with a stone for a pillow. (Genesis 28:10-22). He dreamed of the ladder with the angels of God ascending and descending. The Lord spoke to Him of the land which He would give to him and his descendants. He gave him a promise that He would be with Him and would bring him back to that land. Jacob woke up and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it." He took the stone that had been under his head, set it up as a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He then named the place Bethel, which means the house of God. This was the first time oil was used as an anointing.The Lord seemed pleased with this because we see many instances of oil used in anointing after this, in the tabernacle, the temple and anointing kings and priests. Yet here we see Jacob anointing the stone with oil and naming that place the house of God.

David wanted to build a permanent house for the Lord. He didn't like that fact that he, David, lived in a house of cedar, but the "ark of God dwells within tent curtains." 2 Samuel 7:2. The Lord said that He had never asked him to do that, yet He said, "Because it was in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was in your heart." 1 Kings 8:18. The Lord was pleased with David's desire, however He told him to have his son Solomon build the house (the temple) instead of David doing it. The Lord didn't initiate the building of the first temple, David did. Yet the Lord was quite pleased with it. He even told David that He would make a house for him. (2 Samuel 7:11, 19).

Both of these instances have to do with building the house of God. It seems God is pleased when we desire a place for Him to dwell among us. Today, we can prepare our hearts for Him. A willing heart that is open for Him to come dwell must make Him very pleased. When we are filled with His Spirit, what comes out of our heart will be in accordance to His will. Our thoughts and ideas might bring pleasure to Him also.

"Thus says the Lord "Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? For My hand made all these things, thus all these things came into being," declares the Lord. "But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word."" Isaiah 66:1-2

The house that the Lord will dwell in today, is the heart of a humble, repentant person, one who fears the Lord and His Word. May we prepare our hearts for Him. May every heart, prepare Him room.