GOD’S HAND OF POWER (3)

“IN YOUR HAND is POWER and MIGHT; In YOUR HAND it is to make great and to give strength to all” – 1Chronicles 29:12b

Greatness, Riches, Honour, Strength, and Victory, all reside in GOD’S HAND of POWER and MIGHT: “Both RICHES and HONOR come from You, and You rule over all. IN YOUR HAND is POWER and MIGHT; In YOUR HAND it is to make great and to give STRENGTH to all” (1Chr.29:12). David wanted to build a temple for God, but God said that David could not, because he was a man of war. God appointed his son, Solomon, to build His Temple instead because Solomon would be a man of peace. David could have been upset but instead he decided to help his son by gathering the resources needed to build the project.

First, David gathered the leaders and showed them the riches of gold, silver, and precious materials that he was generously giving toward the great project, and challenged them to follow suit. The leaders brought forth their treasures and put them with David’s. Then he assembled the people and showed them what he and his leaders were doing and challenged them. The hearts of the people were moved, and they in turn, began to give freely of their wealth (vv.6-8). What followed was great rejoicing, as they had given with loyal hearts (v.9). Thereafter, the king blessed the Lord and led the congregation in a wonderful prayer of blessing, thanksgiving, and jubilant praise, as follows: "Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, OUR FATHER, forever and ever." For the first time in Scripture, the Lord was referred to as ‘Father’ by His people!

David's prayerful song of thanksgiving and praise to the Lord continued in joyous enthusiasm and great jubilation (vv.11-12). The Lord is indeed worthy of receiving such exultant praise, for the heaven, the earth, and entire Universe are products of His Power, Might and Wisdom. Time and Space and all that exists belongs to Him, and in His grace, He permitted David to prepare for the magnificent Temple that his son Solomon would one day build. No everlasting string of superlative words or endless chorus of angelic praise can adequately express the magnificence of God's awesome Glory, the vastness of His Kingdom, the might of His great Power and the splendour of His gracious Majesty.

Mortal mind cannot begin to comprehend this unfathomable God. In the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ, He willingly gave up the greatness and splendour of His majesty, to be born into humble settings. Despised of men, rejected by His people and nailed to a cruel tree, whosoever would believe on His name would be forever set free from death – the wages of sin. The God Who flung stars into space at the beginning of time, and continues to uphold creation by His Word, was willingly stripped of everything, for our sake. One day He’ll return to set up the Kingdom that was promised to His forefather David. Then, the earth will resound with this triumphant hymn of praise, “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the POWER and the glory, the victory and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all” (v.11).

David recognised his utter finiteness relative to God’s Immeasurable Possessions: “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You” (v.14). All the blessings we receive come from Him. Any honour that we get is because of Him. We must always ascribe the Glory, not to our accomplishment, but to the Greatness of God and the Power of His Hand. Everything is His! Daniel 4:35 says, “All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’” That’s how unchallengeable God’s Hand of Power is!