And it came about, when David dwelt in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, "Behold, I am dwelling in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under curtains."
Then Nathan said to David, "Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you." 1 Chronicles 17:1, 2. (NASB)

David had it in his heart to build God a house. The Lord had blessed him with such a beautiful place to live. Shouldn't the Almighty have a home instead of a tent? Even the prophet Nathan agreed to the idea. There was only one problem...It wasn't the will of God.

When Nathan went home that night, his mind no doubt full of the king's plans, God gave His opinion.

"Go and tell David My servant, 'Thus says the Lord, You shall not build a house for Me to dwell in...The Lord will build a house for you." 1 Chronicles 17 4-10. (NASB)

A good plan, a godly motive, but the answer is no. It seems God has an agenda of his own. God goes on to explain that one of David's sons will build the house instead. So it isn't the plan, it's the man. How will the king react to this blessed denial?

Better yet, how will we react as writers when the projects we've poured our hearts and time into are rejected, or "redirected" again and again? If we follow David's example and thrive in the throne room, make a beeline for the blessings,  and do all that we can, taking note of what the editor has said we "can" do and following through with it.

Thrive in the Throne Room

"According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David. Then David the king went in and sat before the Lord..."  1 Chronicles 18:15,16. (NASB)

David's immediate reaction to God's declaration against his plans was to sit before the Lord. He didn't stomp away in frustration, but rather ran to the throne for some communication with the One who had the answers.

As Christian writers, we can do the same. By waiting in silence for God's direction after receiving rejections, we may find ourselves in position to receive something better than what we wanted.

Make a Beeline for the Blessings

"And now, O Lord, let the word that Thou has spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house, be established forever, and do as thou hast spoken . . . for thou, O Lord, hast blessed, and it is blessed forever." 1 Chronicles 17: 23, 27b. (NASB)

When David finally spoke, he never mentioned the lost opportunity, he focused on the blessing given. God would build him a house. One of his sons would build the temple. Every word from the king's lips revealed trust in the justice of his Master.

Take your rejections to the Father with the same heart, reading for redirection or crying out for confirmation. Whichever you receive, thank the Lord for His blessing on your writing ministry and align your vision with what God is speaking through His word, prayer, people and circumstances. Search for positive comments like "I'd like to see more from you" or "Try back in a few months".

Do All That You Can Do

"So David gave orders to gather the foreigners who were in the land of Israel, and he set stonecutters to hew out stones to build the house of God . . . So David made ample preparations before his death." 1 Chronicles 22: 2, 5b. (NASB)

Though not the one chosen to build it, the house of God still burned in David's heart. Did he grumble to his mighty men about the unfairness of his situation? Nope. David got busy.

Though the project you submitted wasn't accepted, what else can you do? Reread and rethink the "no" again. Is there an invitation to submit something new? A request for revisions? Many a writer has later discovered that a crushing "no" was actually a "maybe, if..." Keep a storehouse full of ideas and daily output so that when you can do something, you're able.

Praying in the Promises

"Behold a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side; for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days.

He shall build a house for My name, and he shall be My son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever." 1 Chronicles 22:9, 10. (NASB)

Is there something blazing in your heart to be written, but God has said, "Wait" or even "No"? Don't give up. Stay on board even if the ship starts going in another direction. God plans the best adventures.

As the Lord showed David, the will of man and the will of God don't always match up. The jagged edge where the two meet is a painful place--the cross. Don't stop at the pain. Press on to the promise, waiting on the other side of your last "No".

David understand this well, he got credit for two houses, Solomon's Temple and the place we seek daily shelter, the chief cornerstone, Jesus Christ. What if David had traded a building for an eternal heritage? At a "no" juncture, a crossroads with the power to change the course of  his future, David chose faith. We should too. God  builds the best houses...and writing careers.


Copyright 2003 Marilynn Griffith

Marilynn Griffith is editor of  Word Praize, an ezine for Christian writers. Her recent credits include Chicken Soup for the Christian Woman's Soul, Proverbs for the People, For Better or For Worse, Whispers from Heaven Magazine and The Christian Communicator.  Visit her website at www.marilynngriffith.com.