Be Strong and of good Courage, and do it.

Each year I usually follow a chronological reading schedule to read the Bible in one year, which has been very good, it helps me to put order in the stories and it is also useful to teach our children history of the world. However, by May I am honestly a bit tired of reading so many names and lists in the Old Testament. I've been reading Chronicles recently and instead of continuing my bad attitude of oh no here we go another list! I decided to pray and ask God to open my eyes and show me something in the middle of the lists. So I started reading First Chronicles chapter 26 and 27 which talks about David's officers. When I got to the officers of his personal estate my mind begins to dream of how good it would be to have helpers on the farm; then I start thinking about all the things I have to do, both on the farm and finishing another year of homeschool, portafolios and paperwork. Immediately I have to ask God to allow me to focus on my reading and not stress about the pending tasks of the day.

I continue reading chapter 28 and this is when God began to show me something that I had never thought of before even though I have read the chronicles many times. This chapter speaks of Solomon succeeding David in the kingdom. The first thing that David communicates to the people is his intention to build the temple, but God told him that his son Solomon would do it in his place. Then he mentions all the preparations and provisions that he has accumulated over time so that the work can be done, so Solomon can accomplish the task easily.

Solomon's responsability was more than the construction of a building, it was also to follow God's commandments and decrees forever.

Keep and seek for all the commandments of the Lord your God: that ye may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance for your children after you for ever.

1 Chronicles 28:8

If you have the opportunity read the entire chapter 28 do it, it is full of David's exhortation to Solomon as he begins the greatest task of his life.

This is when the light bulb went on in my head and I began to think, here I am worried about finishing the school year, worried about the chores on the farm, thinking if one day all the work we have achieved will pass into the hands of strangers if none of my children decides to live in our property what will happen in the future? Will we be able to finish restoring this farm? The truth is that if we let our own ideas fill our thoughts, most of the time we end up more frustrated than we started, because it's impossible for us to know the future; but God knows all things and shows us little by little the path to take.

When I got to verse 10, I could clearly see what God was trying to say to me that day: Behold, the Lord hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary; be strong and do it. Let us remember that those of us who are saved are a temple of the Holy Spirit and our most important job as parents is to show our children that design that God has given us so that they too can be a temple of the Holy Spirit and leave an inheritance to their children perpetually.

Certainly there are difficult days, sleepless nights, hard work and sacrifice that at the moment seems to have no remuneration. When frustration and doubts come to your mind, remember David's last words to Solomon:

Be strong and of good courage, and do it; fear not, nor be dismay: for the Lord God, even my GOD will be with thee.