Amen

In this last phrase of the model prayer, Jesus gives us a truth that is proclaimed throughout Scripture. He ends this lesson on how to pray by using a small portion of a praise exclamation that David gave in the Book of Chronicles. Remember, David was not allowed by God to build the Temple because he was a man of war. He had been a warrior most of his life. God intended however for David to organize gathering everything that would be needed for his son Solomon to build the Temple in Jerusalem.

As Jesus is closing this prayer He returns to a concept that resonates throughout the pages of the Bible. God is everything, man is nothing! Even in the context of 1 Chronicles David is praising God for the peoples generous giving. Why? Shouldn’t the people get credit for their sacrifice and hard work? After all, aren’t we what really matters? NO! When we stop and give it a good look we continue to come up with the same message. God is all that matters! He is God, holy and awesome. He reigns in majesty. It is only His goodness and grace that allows us any part in His creation! God made us according to His own will for His own good pleasure and He saves us by His choosing so that we can fellowship with Him.(Luke 12:32; Eph. 1:3-14) He has need of nothing and yet makes Himself available to us on a personal level because we need everything. There is nothing we can do for ourselves without messing it up. There is nothing righteous in us. And in the case of David’s rejoicing – it was God who was the Source and His people were the resource He used to provide for the building of the Temple so that God could tangibly live among His chosen people. (Now He lives in our hearts – we are His temple – 1 Cor. 6:19-20). So even the people’s sacrifice and generosity were attributed to God and His working in their hearts. (Phil. 2:13; 2 Thess. 1:11-12).

Jesus is teaching us again about motive and heart attitude. We must understand in the deepest parts of who we are that it all comes from God! He is the Provider for EVERYTHING we will ever have or need! If we have something it’s because God (who owns it all) has given it to us! This may sound foreign to some of you. What a low view of humanity I must seem to have. But when you really see God for who He is you can’t help but be humbled and ask along with David “what is man, that You are mindful of him?” That can also be translated “who are we, that You would even think about us?” If we have difficulty seeing God for who He is then we really can’t see ourselves for who we are. And most churches today focus all the attention of praise and worship and preaching on ME! What can God do for ME? What do I matter to God? How can I live a better life with God’s help? There is a lot of ME and I in today’s church and not very much of God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit. They exist only to meet our needs and give us whatever we fancy. HOGWASH! We must place proper value on God. We gather for worship to proclaim our love to Him and to praise Him for Who He is and for all He has done. He should be central. If He isn’t, then it really isn’t a church but just a religious social club! IT’S ABOUT HIM — not us!

To gain a proper view of God I want to quote David in 1 Chronicles 29:10-20. Read this and just picture in your mind the magnitude of this event. And then ask yourself if the last time you went to church you felt like this about God when you left. If not, pray the Lord revives your church!

Jesus teaches us to pray always with this attitude about God:

“Therefore David blessed the LORD before all the assembly; and David said: ‘Blessed are You, LORD God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever. 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. Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; in Your hand You make great and give strength to all. Now therefore, our God, we thank You and praise Your glorious name. 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 to You. For we are aliens (temporary residents) and pilgrims (transients) before You, as were all our fathers; our days on earth are as a shadow, and without hope. O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have prepared to build You a house for Your holy name is from Your hand, and is all Your own. I know also , my God, that You test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things; and now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here to offer willingly to You. O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the intent of the thoughts of the heart of Your people, and fix their heart toward You. And give my son, Solomon, a loyal heart to keep Your commandments and Your testimonies and Your statutes, to do all these things, and to build the temple for which I have made provision.’ Then David said to all the assembly, ‘ Now bless the LORD your God.’ So all the assembly blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed their heads and prostrated themselves before the LORD and the king.”

Can you see the glory of God? What do you think about Him after reading this passage? Today we must take to heart the lesson Jesus has taught. God is everything. We are nothing. With that perspective whatever we face today won’t seem that big after all, will it?

Amen.