“When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”
2 Samuel 7:12-13 (NIV)

My days of late have been filled with podcast interview after podcast intervew about my book. It’s been a lot of fun, but I find myself repeating some of the same things over and over and over again. God bless Wendy, whose office is right beneath mine. She has to listen to it all (I have a big voice).

One of the questions I’m repeatedly asked is how I found myself in a career in which I’ve analyzed over 100,000 business phone calls of every kind from different businesses and industries of every type.

It’s a God story.

When I was 14 years old and surrendered my life to Christ, God placed a call on my life. It sounds strange, but I had a vision in which I saw myself preaching, and I heard a voice say, “You’re going to proclaim my Word.” Even more strange, I preached my first message less than three months later and six months later I was traveling the state every week preaching in different churches — at the age of 15.

I decided that I was going to go into vocational ministry and become a pastor. I continued in vocational ministry for six long years. During those years it became obvious. This isn’t where I’m supposed to be.

When God called me to proclaim His Word, I made assumptions about what that meant. You know what they say about what happens when we “ass-u-me” things. God had other plans for me. His plans for me were in the world of business, analyzing countless phone calls and leveraging God’s principles in helping people and companies improve their serve.

This came to mind this morning as I read today’s chapter. David has been on a roll. He’s God’s man in the moment. He’s been faithful and patient. Now he’s experiencing the fullfillment of God’s promises for him.

Throne established…check.
Kingdom united…check.
Capital city conquered and established…check.
Ark of God centered in place…check.
Palace built…check.
Enemies thwarted…check.

From his palace, David gazes out at Jerusalem and his kingdom. He notices the tent where the Ark of God’s presence resides. Suddenly, he feels like something’s not right. He’s living in a gorgeous palace made of luxurious Cedar. God’s Ark is in a….tent.

David determines to make this right. He assumes the responsibility for building a temple for God’s Ark.

You know what they say about what happens when we “ass-u-me” things.

God sends word to David through the prophet Nathan.

“I have called you and I am establishing your kingdom forever. But, I never asked you to build me a house. That’s not your job.” God then informs David that his son after him will be the one to build a house for His presence.

In true servant-hearted form, David doesn’t complain. He doesn’t sulk. He doesn’t get bitter. David accepts God’s message, God’s will, and the chapter ends with David sitting with God and spending time in praise.

It’s one of the greatest reversals in the entire Great Story.

David says: “I want to build something for You.”

God replies: “No. I’m building something for you.”

That is the Gospel before the Gospel. Along my journey I’ve observed that human religion almost always begins with the question: “What can I build for God?” while the Kingdom of God begins with another question:

“What is God building in me?”

David assumed the greatest act of devotion would be constructing a temple. God reveals that His greater concern is constructing a person, a family, a kingdom, and ultimately a redeemed humanity.

It was the same mistake I made assuming that proclaiming God’s Word had only one career path. I constantly fight the assumption that God is most interested in my accomplishments:

the ministry I build,
the company I grow,
the reputation I establish,
the legacy I leave.

But His ways are not my ways. His thoughts are not my thoughts.

God consistently works in the opposite direction. He is less interested in what passes through my hands than in what takes shape within my heart. I want to leave monuments; He wants to create people. I dream of projects; He dreams of transformed lives.

There’s a quiet irony here. David’s “failure” to build the Temple became part of a much larger story. Had David built it, there would have been no need to look beyond him. Instead, generations waited for another Son of David—One who would build not with cedar and gold, but with flesh and Spirit. The “no” David received became part of the world’s “yes” in Christ.

Perhaps that reframes some of my own unanswered prayers. Sometimes God’s refusal isn’t rejection. It is redirection toward something larger than I can yet imagine.

The prayer of this chapter is not: “Lord, what do You want me to build for You?”

But rather: “Lord, what are You building in me… and will I trust You enough to let You finish the work?”

That is the house that will endure forever.

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