Faithful hearts seek wise investments in time that will only come to full fruition in eternity.
Shortly after Abram entered Canaan, we read, “he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east” (Gen 12:8). Bethel means “the house of God.” Ai means “a heap of rubble.” It’s a hard fact that every penny, every moment, every opportunity, every skill, is either squandered on this world’s rubble or invested in the house of God. David wasn’t an avaricious man. His chief desire seemed to be to provide for the Lord’s house. He willingly turned the reins of the kingdom over to Solomon so he could give himself to the task at hand. “So David…appointed masons to cut hewn stones to build the house of God. And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails…and bronze in abundance beyond measure, and cedar trees in abundance” (1 Chron 22:2-4). But that was just the beginning. “I have taken much trouble to prepare for the house of the Lord,” said David, “one hundred thousand talents of gold and one million talents of silver, and bronze and iron beyond measure, for it is so abundant. I have prepared timber and stone also, and you may add to them” (v 14). Why so lavish? Because “the house to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all countries” (v 5 ). David was a man after God’s heart. He knew this house wasn’t just for the Jews. It would draw a queen from Sheba, a eunuch from Ethiopia, a centurion from Italy, and who knows how many more. Regarding the Church, beauty certainly is in the eye of the Beholder! Anticipating the day when Christ presents “to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing” (Eph 5:27), our prayer might be borrowed from Moses, the man with the glowing face: “Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us” (Ps 90:17).