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2 Chronicles 3 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
The effort and detail Solomon and his people put into the newly constructed temple was simply amazing. They went all out. God is in the details. This is true. It’s also a fact that His desire is for us to commit with everything we have to the pursuit of His ways. We say this all the time, but what does it really mean?
As I read this chapter, I am reminded that our best efforts should be reserved for the Lord’s work. If He is truly our top priority, He means more than just attendance on Sunday. He means more than throwing up a prayer every time we feel sick. He is much more than just good intentions. One of the worst aspects to our sin nature is that we fall in and out of love with Jesus. We pursue Him for a time and then relent back to our old ways. It seems like 1 step forward and 2 steps back at times. This was not the plan.
As I think practically about this temple construction, I see many people coming together to give their best talent and effort to this place of worship. In our current state, do we really do this? Are we giving our best to God’s plan moving forward? I think it is worth questioning. If I’m honest, sometimes my wife gets my best. Sometimes my daughter gets my best. Sometimes sports, or entertainment, or comfort really gets my best effort. Have I spent more time and money on keeping my house furnished than keeping the temple of God nourished? I’m talking about spiritual nourishment of the soul. You know, the kind of thing that other people say is “legalistic” and “extreme.” It’s Jesus-freak stuff.
How about praying for an hour? How about diving deep into the same chapter of Scripture over several days and weeks? How about fasting for our greatest temptations and sin struggles? How about taking time to really invest and check up on those who are hurting? Maybe you are really good at all these things, but I confess, I am not. Far from it. But, I want to be. And through the Holy Spirit, I’m working on it. So the bottom line is, something has to change. There has to come a point where we look at the way people lived in Scripture and we look at how we are living now, and we make our minds up to really change.
It’s not about being perfect, or polished, or holier than thou. It’s about being able to say, at the end of the night, today was a great day. Why? Not because I bought a new TV. Not because I saved a bunch of money by switching to Geico. Not because I found a $20 in my old pants pocket. The only truly fulfilling feeling we can experience at the end of the day is to have served the Lord with everything. What greater feeling is there? I’m calling myself out on this one! I have failed. But the beauty is, we serve a God of second chances. We serve the King of grace. It is never too late to turn over a new leaf. Are you serving Him with everything? Who is really getting “your best?” How long will you deceive yourself?