Solomon’s, NOT DAVID’S, temple

I hated even writing that title.

I still hate reading it.

It reminds me  of  that whole, was Facebook the idea of Mark Zuckerberg or those tall Winklevoss twins?

At any rate, I feel like that wrong person sometimes. Especially when I look at what person X is doing or how person Q is thriving  and think, “I could be doing that” or “I had that idea, too” or “Seriously, him?”

You may have a great idea, a good idea. But you may not be the right person to do it. That could be for any number of reasons–don’t have the platform, too educated, not educated enough, don’t know the right people, short on cash, maxed out credit.

King David, it turns out, had a really great idea. It was actually a good idea in the moral sense. But David didn’t get to do it. Here is son Solomon’s account of dad’s dream and subsequent denial:

^{2 Chronicles 6:7-10}

Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. ⁸ But the Lord said to David my father, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart. ⁹ Nevertheless, it is not you who shall build the house, but your son who shall be born to you shall build the house for my name.’ ¹⁰ Now the Lord has fulfilled his promise that he made. For I have risen in the place of David my father and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and I have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.

Great job, David! Way to dream a big, bold, God-sized dream! Nevertheless…no…not now…not ever…at least, not you…

I have historically journaled my dreams and tried not to talk about them too much lest a Solomon come along and get to live them out instead of me. But at some point David must have told Solomon what he was thinking and imagining. It caught Solomon’s imagination, too. And God wanted it to be Solomon.

There’s honor in thinking big and having great ideas, morally great ideas, and not being the one who sees it to fruition. That’s okay in the economy of God’s kingdom because all credit goes to Him anyways. All glory goes to Him.

So maybe it’s time to dream out loud a bit more and share what big thing is stirring within and monopolizing our thoughts. And then to pray something like, “Lord, if not me, then someone.”