Spend time in prayer and silence with God asking him to meet you and speak to you.
Bible Reading
Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper parts, its inner rooms and the place of atonement. He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit had put in his mind for the courts of the temple of the Lord and all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the temple of God and for the treasuries for the dedicated things. He gave him instructions for the divisions of the priests and Levites, and for all the work of serving in the temple of the Lord, as well as for all the articles to be used in its service. He designated the weight of gold for all the gold articles to be used in various kinds of service, and the weight of silver for all the silver articles to be used in various kinds of service: the weight of gold for the gold lampstands and their lamps, with the weight for each lampstand and its lamps; and the weight of silver for each silver lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand; the weight of gold for each table for consecrated bread; the weight of silver for the silver tables; the weight of pure gold for the forks, sprinkling bowls and pitchers; the weight of gold for each gold dish; the weight of silver for each silver dish; and the weight of the refined gold for the altar of incense. He also gave him the plan for the chariot, that is, the cherubim of gold that spread their wings and shelter the ark of the covenant of the Lord.
“All this,” David said, “I have in writing from the hand of the Lord upon me, and he gave me understanding in all the details of the plan.”
– 1 Chronicles 28:11-19
Devotion
When I was in high school I worked a landscaping job. One day my boss heard me say “good enough” in reference to the job I was working on. That was a big mistake! Over time, we have all learned the difference between the “good enough” attitude and the “do it with excellence” attitude. If you have ever had someone work on something that belongs to you – be it your house, car, or even a doctor performing surgery on your body – you want excellence rather than “good enough.”
When it comes to living for God, we need to realize that we should do all things with excellence. As David planned the building of the temple and shared these plans with Solomon, we can see that he followed God’s design down to every minute detail. The temple would be God’s dwelling place, so David wanted to ensure that the planning and execution of the temple would be glorifying to God. He did not gloss over the details or fudge the plans. He made sure to do all of this planning with excellence.
As we live out our lives, we need to apply these principles to every area. Colossians 3:23 says “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” We are called to do all things for God’s glory, and therefore to do all things with excellence. Next time you are tempted to embrace the “good enough” attitude, remember that you are working for God, and He is worthy of excellence!
The Big Question
What are some areas in your life where you have been settling for “good enough” and how can you upgrade your thinking to embrace an attitude of excellence?
Conclude in prayer and silence reflecting on what you’ve learned.