Call to Worship

2 Samuel 7:1-14a, NIRV

God’s Promise to David

7 The king moved into his palace. The Lord had given him peace and rest from all his enemies around him. ² Then the king spoke to Nathan the prophet. He said, “Here I am, living in a house that has beautiful cedar walls. But the ark of God remains in a tent.”

³ Nathan replied to the king, “Go ahead and do what you want to. The Lord is with you.”

⁴ But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan. The Lord said,

⁵ “Go and speak to my servant David. Tell him, ‘The Lord says, “Are you the one to build me a house to live in? ⁶ I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt. But I have not lived in a house from then until now. I have been moving from place to place. I have been living in a tent. ⁷ I have moved from place to place with all the Israelites. I commanded their rulers to be shepherds over them. I never asked any of those rulers, ‘Why haven’t you built me a house that has beautiful cedar walls?’ ” ’

⁸ “So tell my servant David, ‘The Lord who rules over all says, “I took you away from the grasslands. That’s where you were taking care of your father’s sheep and goats. I made you ruler over my people Israel. ⁹ I have been with you everywhere you have gone. I have destroyed all your enemies. Now I will make you famous. Your name will be just as respected as the names of the most important people on earth. ¹⁰ I will provide a place where my people Israel can live. I will plant them in the land. Then they will have a home of their own. They will not be bothered anymore. Evil people will no longer crush them, as they did at first. ¹¹ That is what your enemies have done ever since I appointed leaders over my people Israel. But I will give you peace and rest from all of them.

“ ‘ “I tell you that I, the Lord, will set up a royal house for you. ¹² Some day your life will come to an end. You will join the members of your family who have already died. Then I will make one of your own sons the next king after you. And I will make his kingdom secure. ¹³ He is the one who will build a house where I will put my Name. I will set up the throne of his kingdom. It will last forever. ¹⁴ I will be his father. And he will be my son. When he does what is wrong, I will use other men to beat him with rods and whips.

New International Reader's Version (NIRV). Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Definition:

Worship – to give honor, hope, praise, and glory to God.

Message:

Do you have good habits? Do you brush your teeth every time you’re supposed to? Do you clean your room and pick up your clothes before you’re told? Do you wash your hands before every meal? Can you tell me another good habit that you have? (Allow children to answer.) Those are all good habits. It is wonderful to pick up good habits that will last a lifetime.

Are you in the good habit of worshiping God? Worship, remember, means to give honor, hope, praise, and glory to God. As we worship, we feel God's presence and love.

In today’s scripture, David is talking with the prophet, Nathan. A prophet is a person who hears messages from God and tells those messages to others. God speaks to Nathan about King David and his life. David is worried about not having a place to worship God. God speaks to Nathan and tells him to tell David,

I have been with you everywhere you have gone. I have destroyed all your enemies. Now I will make you famous. Your name will be just as respected as the names of the most important people on earth. I will provide a place where my people Israel can live. I will plant them in the land. Then they will have a home of their own. They will not be bothered anymore…But I will give you peace and rest from all of them (verses 9-11).

David learned that God is with him no matter where he lives. No matter where David goes, God goes with him. God reminded David that, as we worship, God guides and supports us throughout life. As we worship, we remember God’s vision. I wonder what God has in store for your life as you continue to worship. There are so many wonderful things that happen when we worship God! Worship is a way of living our lives in this world as God guides us. Worship gives us hope and strength, as we say “thanks” to God for the life and the love that God gives us every day. Can you tell me one way we can say “thanks” to God for the love God gives us? What can you do to show others that we worship God? (Allow children to offer ideas/suggestions.) In worship, we learn how to be followers of Jesus. How can you show others that you are a follower of Jesus? That’s certainly a good habit, isn’t it? In worship, we discover, just as David did, that God isn’t located in just one place. God is everywhere. God is anywhere we are! And that is truly worth it.

Prayer:

God, help me form the good habit of worship. Lead me to others who love you and who can teach me well. Show me how to encourage others to worship you too! Amen.