ALL ABOUT THE DETAILS
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE DETAILS
Hello my friends :). What - can you believe, we are in the 4th month of the year already? Happy Spring time to everyone in the North America region. I stopped by to share some encouragement on my heart with you. I am sure you have heard the saying “It’s all about the big picture or big idea!” While this is true in some instances, I believe God is equally concerned about the details, those seemingly small yet important steps related to our lives. We are living in times where most people want elevation and success quickly and many are willing to take shortcuts if they are guaranteed a spot at the celebration table. In other words, most people want to be called rather quickly Big Shots, Boss Lady, Boss Man, Boss Up and the slogans are endless. I wonder though how many people really take the time to consider very intuitively the costs and process associated with these positions of elevation. I have a good friend who is married to a medical doctor and I am certain the required training took him years to complete. From medical school years to residency training, it all involved many small details along his journey that led him to be the successful doctor he is today. Now you have heard of the very wise man called Solomon in the bible who was King David’s son entrusted to build a temple to honor the Lord. If you have not read much on Solomon, I would highly encourage you to consider doing so as his life speaks to the importance of paying close attention to the instructions and details along this journey called life. Let’s examine briefly the instructions King David passed unto his son pertaining to building the Lord’s Temple.
You see King David left very specific sets of instructions for Solomon and worked hard to provide the related building materials including 4,000 tons of gold, 40,000 tons of and so much iron and bronze that they could not be even weighed. He also gathered timber, stones for the walls and said this to his son. “You have a large number of skilled stonemasons and carpenters and craftsmen of every kind. You have expert goldsmiths and silversmiths and workers of bronze and iron. Now begin the work, and may the Lord be with you!” David also ordered all the leaders of Israel to assist Solomon with the project. (See 1 Chronicles 22:14-18) He even provides Solomon with the plans for the Temple and its surroundings including the entry room, the storerooms, the upstairs rooms, the inner rooms, the outer rooms and the rooms for the gifts to be dedicated to the Lord. David also details exactly how much gold and silver should be used to make the items needed for service. He proceeds to pray over Solomon and assures him the Lord will be with him every step of the way (1 Chronicles 28). Solomon is appointed King and immediately asks the Lord for wisdom and makes the necessary preparations for building the Temple. He enlisted 70,000 laborers, 80,000 men to quarry stone in the hill country and 3,600 foremen. After Solomon finished building the Temple, he dedicated it to the Lord before all the people with worship and praise. It took King Solomon 20 full years to build the Lords Temple and his royal palace. (2 Chronicles 8:1) OMG - Can you imagine the mindset it must have taken to stay focused and follow thoroughly the instructions left by his father for 20 years? Some people grow anxious in the process and quickly embrace diversion and the spirit of give up. You see Solomon was not focused on instant success and while the journey was not easy because they certainly encountered obstacles along the way during the transport of the Ark, each time they called upon the Lord he was right there to provide direction!
The Lord has impressed upon my heart during my study of Solomon’s building of the Temple that 20 years is not a long time when you consult him for wisdom and you are willing to put in the necessary hard work to make sure the project is completed according to specifications. The word of God reminds us in 2 Peter 3:1 NLT “But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.” In other words, God does not view time the same way we humans do. That scripture has certainly encouraged my heart over the years because I know God is concerned about all the details of our lives – oh yes both the small and big picture details! Do not allow the big picture framework to cause you to neglect the small details of your project matters. A big mansion built quickly without a proper foundation and the necessary building specs is a disaster waiting to crumble in a matter of time. Do not allow yourself to get caught up in the fast flow of societal pressure to skip over vital steps just to make it to the finish line. I can tell you personally as a runner who has endured a race related injury which eventually led to foot surgery, if I had not focused intently on following the specific healing instructions provided by my doctor – I would not be training for future races. You simply cannot expect lasting success when details are ignored so please begin to ask God to help you to gracefully yet humbly embrace all aspects of your growth journey. There are divine blessings associated with paying close attention to detailed instructions. Such was the case for King Solomon – he became the wisest and one of the wealthiest Kings to rule in the day and there has not been anyone like him since. It is always best to arrive at the intended destination with blessings chasing you down rather than chaotic setbacks. Most importantly – the legacy you leave for others absolutely matters. King David left an incredible legacy and set of instructions for his son Solomon to follow. We serve a loving father who cares about the details + big picture scenes of our lives. He will also cause all things - both good and bad to work out for our good (Romans 8:28). Remember - you too are fearfully and wonderfully made for such a time as this! .