God has promises for your life. However, promises are a gift that is never forced. It is always up to the recipient to claim the gifts of God’s promises. What unclaimed promises are waiting for you, my sister?

Yesterday, in episode #1893: A Heart To Do More, we read all of 1 Chronicles 17. David had a heart to do more for God than God ever asked of him. After all of David’s successes, he wanted to do something great for God, so he decided he would build a Temple for God’s presence to reside in, rather than a portable tent. And in response, God tells David, “No, you are not the one to build a house for me. But after you die, one of your sons will build my house. Now David, I am building a house for you. A dynasty of kings. From you will come a King over my kingdom forever.”

God blessed David more than David could have ever blessed God. He sees our heart and responds to the desires within our heart. I’m learning the desires of my heart are growing, but they will never catch up with the desires of God’s heart for me. He will always meet me and raise me!

Isn’t that what God does? Just like a hand of poker, he meets us and then raises us. What he has to invest in us is always greater and bigger.

Now, imagine for a moment being David. He is King. He has gone from rags to riches. He is loved and celebrated. Everything he does turns to success because of God’s hand. But when he decides to build a Temple for God, God tells him no, you’re not the one to do it. That must have hurt a little.

Imagine having a beautiful voice and a genuine heart to sing for God, but God says, “No, you’re not the one I’ve chosen to sing for me.” Ouch.

Imagine being Michelangelo with all the artistic talent in the world to paint and being told by God, “Nope, you’re not the one I want to do my painting.”

Wouldn’t your feelings get hurt? Wouldn’t you question why God wouldn’t choose you? Wouldn’t it feel personal? Wouldn’t you pull away a little and get pouty? I know I would.

But David trusted what he could not understand. He didn’t have to understand God’s decision or selection, he didn’t even have to agree with it, he just trusted it. It wasn’t what he wanted, but it was what he accepted in faith.

Later, God reveals to David why he wasn’t the chosen one to build his temple. God said in 1 Chronicles 22: 8-10, “You have killed many men in the battles you have fought. And since you have shed so much blood in my sight, you will not be the one to build a Temple to honor my name. But you will have a son who will be a man of peace. I will give him peace with his enemies in all the surrounding lands. His name will be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel during his reign. He is the one who will build a temple to honor my name.”

When God says no to you, will you trust him without understanding why? Will you lean in instead of pulling away?

You know what David did when God told him he was not the chosen one to build his Temple? He began gathering the materials for building so when the one God had chosen was ready, it would all be there for him. Now that is remarkable. God, even if you don’t choose me to build it, I will help gather for it!

David leaned in, and as a result he received the promises of God that were greater than he could have ever imagined.

God promised to build a dynasty of kings for David. And he did. He promised to bring from him a King that would rule God’s Kingdom forever, and he did. Jesus is the descendant of David. He is the King of Kings. Remember, Jesus is identified as an ancestor of David more than any other person in his lineage. That’s the fulfillment of God’s promise!

Has a misunderstood move of God caused you to pull away? When you don’t understand, do you distance yourself? My sister … there are promises on the table still for you.

Promises are true and powerful, however if unclaimed they are wasted. What promises has God made for you that are being wasted because you’re not claiming them as yours?

David shows us how to lean in even when we’re told no, even when it doesn’t make sense, even when God’s ways cannot be understood, and claim the fullness of his promises for our lives. It’s all a matter of trust. Do you trust God knows what he’s doing? Do you trust God’s promises are better than your preconceived notions?

Today, I’m suggesting a few of God’s promises, not all for sure because there are so many, but starting with a few to make sure you’re claiming them. Don’t leave God’s promises unclaimed!

1. God promises forgiveness. 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” There is absolutely no need for you to carry that guilt or shame. That’s a burden Jesus paid to take from you and honestly, you have no business trying to reclaim it. You have the promise of forgiveness, but you must claim the promise and receive it as your own. Have you? I mean really, have you received the promise of forgiveness or are you still carrying that guilt around with you?

3. God promises guidance. Psalm 32:8, The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” That’s a promise. You can claim it and receive it, or not. He will never force his guidance on you. You can choose to wander around lost, that’s your right, oh but honey, it’s not best. Let him guide you. He sees what you simply cannot see.

4. God promises growth. Philippians 1:6, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” You aren’t who you used to be, and that’s because God has never given up on you or stopped working on you. Your growth is promised to keep getting better, but you have to believe it and claim it. Stop saying you’re stuck. Stop saying you can never change. The promise of God tells me otherwise!

These are just 4 of the many, many promises of God. But start with these 4. Leave nothing on the table. Claim these promises as your own. Not because of who you are, but because of who God is. You can’t earn them, but you can claim them.

My prayer for you today is this: May you claim the full redemptive forgiveness of Jesus and never again pick up that old shame. May you be filled with an undeniable peace in your heart and in your mind that can only come from God. May you receive divine guidance for your next step, and pick up your foot in faith to take it. And may you embrace your journey of growth as you become more like the girl God created you to be.

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