Value Variable

I have learned to like nice things. In some cases I have expensive tastes. In others cases I’m pretty simple and “down to earth”. I know people who will only wear a certain brand of clothing or shoes. I also know some really wealthy people who really dress plain and simple. Don’t get me wrong, I like to look nice and dress nice, but often I’m paying a lot extra for a certain brand or logo on the clothes.

Solomon spared no expense when he started building the temple. He had quite an extensive supply list already put together by his Dad, King David. He certainly took the extras in the temple to a whole new level. Check this out…

7 He overlaid the ceiling beams, doorframes, walls and doors of the temple with gold, and he carved cherubim on the walls.

8 He built the Most Holy Place, its length corresponding to the width of the temple—twenty cubits long and twenty cubits wide. He overlaid the inside with six hundred talents of fine gold. 9 The gold nails weighed fifty shekels. He also overlaid the upper parts with gold. (2 Chronicles 3:7-9 NIV)

This place was crazy fancy. I love that he wanted to give God the very best of everything. He used gold nails, and covered the wood with gold. The building featured the best materials on planet earth that Solomon could get his hands on. When describing the temple, the word “extravagant” just doesn’t measure up.

As I was reading this chapter with all the descriptive details, I was reminded that while God loved the honor and respect that was coming His way in this lavish temple build – He loves a surrendered heart more than anything else. I’m looking at Solomon building them temple through the eyes of history. I can see what is going to happen to Solomon’s commitment to the Lord.

I know that we have nice things here on the planet, but the Lord has all of that at His disposal already. When I read about heaven, it has all of the “bling” that we can possibly imagine. Gold is equivalent to asphalt here. As I read throughout scripture, I realize how unimpressed God is with material possessions. We are simple managers of that – He is the Owner. The Lord really wants me to love Him, honor Him and respect Him. He really wants my heart commitment and my minds attention on Him. I need to care a lot less about possessions that I have and notice the Giver of all good things. I want to value the things that the Lord values. His values don’t have a monetary value to them, but they certainly have an eternal value. That is a valuable variable that I need to pay close attention too.

Pressing On!

Dwayne