Then David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished. Now behold, there are the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God, and every willing man of any skill will be with you in all the work for all kinds of service. The officials also and all the people will be entirely at your command.” 1 Chron 28:20-21 (NASB)
As we were praying for our church at last Sunday’s prayer corner, the Lord brought to my mind a passage from 1 Chronicles 28 & 29. It was a milestone event for God’s people, as David handed over the throne and gave Solomon the responsibility to build the Lord’s temple. It was a huge, daunting task. As David described it, “The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the Lord God.” (1 Chron 29:1)
Even as we have just celebrated the milestone of our church’s 60th Anniversary, we can look back with much thanksgiving and say as David did, “Everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your hand.” (1 Chron 29:14b). But the Lord has much more in store for us in the years ahead, as He leads us to fulfil His mission for us – to glorify Him by living the gospel and making disciples to reach the world for Christ.
And as we look ahead, we will see that there is much work to be done. The task is huge, and daunting. Will we have enough workers? Will we have the resources? Will we be united in fulfilling our God-given mission? All these questions were at the back of my mind as we prayed for our church.
But then I read the verse from 1 Chron 28:20 – “He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished.”
My eyes filled up with tears, and I felt God’s assurance that He will provide for us. He will not fail us, nor forsake us. He will raise up the workers we need, and provide the gifts and skills needed. He will keep us united in fulfilling His purpose for us as a church.
That is God’s promise for us – that He will work in and through us to build this church community. We will continue to face many challenges, perhaps more than ever before. In this fallen world, we will face opposition from the outside, and even from within.
The challenges we face in this walk of faith, whether as individuals or as a church, are very real. But let’s never forget that God’s promises and assurances are just as real. His grace is sufficient for us. It always has been, and always will be.
By Jan Choo, Assistant Pastor (YCKC Bulletin 1&2 November 2014)