God told me NOT to do something I want to do! Now what?

Mark Virkler's picture

We all desire to honor God and see His kingdom manifest on the earth. We give our lives toward this end. King David honored God, even though at times he messed up (as we all do). Since David lived in a beautiful house and God lived in a tent, David wanted to honor God by building Him a house/temple to live in. 


David desired to honor God

The king said to Nathan the prophet, "See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains." Then Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you." (2 Sam. 7:2,3 NKJV). Cool, now David has a prophet agreeing with the plan. David's pure heart desire aligned with David's destiny to honor and lift the rule of God on the earth. The prophet agrees. However, was it the wrong thing to do?

  • By the way, the New King James Version (NKJV) translation is correct: “all that is in your heart” to do, and not as the New American Standard Bible (NASB) translates it, which is “all that is in your mind" to do. 
  • It’s sad that my favorite translation, the NASB, translates this word mind and not heart. This Hebrew word shows up 249 times in the O.T. and is translated 238 times heart(s) in the KJV, which is the accurate Hebrew meaning of the word - H3824 - lêbâb - lay-bawb' From H3823; the heart (as the most interior organ) Brown-Driver-Brings Hebrew Definitions.
  • Ok, so this would appear to be a godly desire, to honor the Lord by building Him a house. Nathan’s initial response was affirmative, but upon sleeping on it, God corrects Nathan, and says, "NO, it will be David's son who will build this house for God." (Read: 2 Sam. 7:4-17.) David could gather the resources to build it, but God said, he was not to build it.

David accepts Nathan's words, worships, and gathers all the building supplies for his son to use in building the temple. David did NOT build the temple for God to live in.

Lessons we can learn from this story

  • What is in my heart, even if my heart is pure and the activity lines up with God’s overall vision, may NOT be what God specifically wants me to do. Notice when Paul wanted to evangelize certain regions, the Spirit forbade him (Acts 16:6,7), even though Paul was called to be an evangelist.
  • Even prophets can be wrong if answering off the cuff, but God can correct them during their sleep. I use "The Leaders Paradigm" especially for any big decision. This allows me to receive God's confirmation through six ways the Bible says that God reveals Himself to us.
  • God has reasons for why He doesn’t want me to do something, even when I think it's a good thing to do (1 Chron. 28:3). Since God's thoughts and ways are higher than ours, God may or may not explain His reasons to me. In this case, God did reveal the reason to King David: "I had intended to build a permanent home for the ark of the covenant of the LORD and for the footstool of our God. So I had made preparations to build it. But God said to me, 'You shall not build a house for My name because you are a man of war and have shed blood'" (1 Chron. 28:2-3).
  • I need to be careful to follow God’s voice every step of the way, and not just do what I think is good and honoring to God.

Abraham brought catastrophe by doing what he felt was aligned with God’s destiny for his life, but God had not spoken to him to do it.

  • God had given Abraham a promise that He would bless the world through his seed (Gen. 12:1-3). After waiting many years without having children, Abram had a son (Ishmael - Gen. 16) through his wife's handmaid, something allowable in that culture.
  • God rejected this child because it was the fruit of Abraham and Sarah's "good idea" to help God’s vision along, and it did NOT come from listening to God's voice.
  • When Ishmael was becoming a teenager, Abraham said to God, "Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!" Then God said: "No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him" (Gen. 17:18-19).
  • The fruit of this "good" idea: We still have a war going on today between the descendants of Abram's two children: the Arabs and the Israelites.
  • God's plans bring glory to God because God likes to work through supernatural events that bring honor to Him and turn man's eyes toward God.

Lessons for me to learn

  • Don’t be impatient, and act on my great ideas for how to fulfill the destiny God has for me. Don’t plan on my own. Instead, listen to God's voice and do ONLY what He says.
  • Jesus did NOTHING on His own initiative but ONLY what He heard and saw His Father doing.
  • God often takes longer than I think He should to accomplish His promises in my life.
  • My great ideas can bring great calamity to me, my family, and the world.
  • Just because there is a need, it is not necessarily a need that I am to meet. 
  • I must follow the voice of God in my heart. There are a bunch of projects and activities I would love to get into the middle of and fight for, but God says to me, “No, Mark, that is not your fight. I have called you to restore the eyes and ears of My Church to Me. That is what you are to stand for and fight for and do." 
  • God also tells me steps to take in fulfilling this vision and steps NOT to take. That is a bit tough for a man of action (which I am).

So I know the lane I am supposed to stay in. Do you know the lane you are to be in? Are you staying in that lane and blessing the world through that specific call and destiny upon your life?

Journaling

  • Lord, what lane am I to be in?
  • Lord, what am I to be doing now?
  • What am I not to be doing now?

Learn how to hear God's voice: www.CWGministries.org/4keys


CLU Course of the Month:
LEA105/515 Unique Gifts Make Winning Teams
Request 40% tuition discount until March 31st when ordering here.
Add any second course for 40% tuition discount!

What if you already own the “Course of the Month”?
Order ANY COMBO of two courses for 40% tuition discount on each!

Payment plans are available and start dates are flexible.
Master the Bible and Spirit-filled living.
What are you waiting for? Enroll in CLU today.


Fan the flames of revival by sharing this blog with your friends on social media! 


Discover the CWG Streaming Service!

Start your 7-day free trial and get unlimited access to this entire series as well as our other 300+ Spirit-anointed training videos, while providing recurring monthly support to our ministry.

Until March 31st, get 50% off your first 12 monthly payments with coupon code MARCH2025, or 50% off the already-discounted annual subscription with code MARCH2025ANNUAL!


Related Resources: 

How to Master Your Bible!   
Add new comment

Add new comment

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Results

Results 1 - 10 of 488

Pages

4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice

4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 305 Pages | Retail: $16.99

Have you ever wished you could just sit down and have a long talk with the Lord? Wouldn't it be wonderful to move beyond having a theology that states that God loves you to actually hearing Him whisper words of love into your heart? When you're worried or confused, wouldn't you love to see the situation from His perspective and hear how He wants you to respond?


Price: $14.95

Dialogue with God

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 296 Pages

This top seller for 30 years from Bridge Logos provides a narrative, right-brain presentation of the principles of how to hear God's voice. Especially enjoyable for personal use, it makes a great gift for introducing a loved one to the voice of God. This book teaches the four keys to hearing God's voice in readable style, and also devotes two entire chapters to moving samples of people's journaling (i.e. their two-way dialogue with God).

Price: $17.95
Hear God's Voice Guaranteed Package

Hear God's Voice Guaranteed Package

9 Books | 10 CDs | 10 DVDs | Save Over 20%

Have you ever wished you could just sit down and have a long talk with the Lord? Wouldn't it be wonderful to move beyond having a theology that states that God loves you to actually hearing Him whisper words of love into your heart? When you're worried or confused, wouldn't you love to see the situation from His perspective and hear how He wants you to respond? When things don't seem to be going your way and your prayers aren't answered the way you had hoped, wouldn't it be great to hear Him tell you where He is in the midst of it, and what He is working out in your life? Are you ever just a little bit jealous of others who say with such confidence, "The Lord said...."?

Price: $175.00

How to Hear God's Voice

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 317 Pages

We recommend that you order the newest revision of this book titled 4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice. It includes 95% of the content of How to Hear God's Voice but is reorganized so it fits perfectly with the 10 DVDs on this subject by Mark Virkler. In addition, it gets you started using the four keys earlier in the book and gives you more journaling samples and exercises. Since we have removed the large margins, it is a smaller and less expensive book.

Price: $24.95

Prayers That Heal the Heart - Revised & Expanded 20th Anniversary Edition

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 320 Pages

Prayer counseling that breaks every yoke! Everything you need to experience deep healing of your soul and spirit.

Did you know that you don’t need to be continually plagued by negative thoughts, feelings, pictures or memories?

It is not part of the "human condition" to feel the constant nagging of doubt, insecurity, or anger. No matter what sin you are trying to overcome, what lie you think you’ll always believe, or what traumas your heart has suffered in the past, you will receive total freedom and restoration by praying these prayers in faith. 

Price: $19.95

Counseled by God

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 146 Pages

Have you ever been defeated by negative emotions such as anger, fear, guilt, inferiority, condemnation or depression? Have you tried to fight them off unsuccessfully? Is there an answer that is deeper than simply trying to mentally reason yourself out of these emotions? Is there a way that Jesus can speak a word of life into the depths of your emotional despair and bring healing on a deep level? Is there a form of Christian counseling that begins and ends with the movement of Christ within your heart, rather than simply with the words of man?

Price: $10.95
Hear God Through Your Dreams Workbook Cover

Hear God Through Your Dreams Workbook

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 92 Pages

A newer book has been released that accompanies this workbook: Click here for Hearing God Through Your Dreams by Charity Kayembe and Mark Virkler (featured on Sid Roth's "It's Supernatural", with almost a million views just on YouTube).


Do you often wake up feeling there was a significant message in your dream, but you’re just not sure what it is? Like Daniel and Joseph, do you long to be able to help others understand their own dreams and win them to Christ as you explain His night messages to them? Wouldn't it be nice if you could receive mid-course corrections from the Lord while you sleep? Do you wish you could be receiving divine inspiration, creative solutions to problems, and direction from the Lord during that third of your life that you’re “just” sleeping?

Price: $11.95

Hearing God Through Your Dreams

by Mark Virkler and Charity Virkler Kayembe | 292 Pages

Learn How to Hear God’s Voice, Even When You Are Sleeping

It is always fun to be on the winning team. Well look what God has done with Charity's new dreams teaching. It has taken off like a rocket with a live TV interview on Cornerstone Network and her Sid Roth interview which has almost a million views on YouTube!

Price: $16.99

Everyday Angels

by Charity Virkler Kayembe and Joe Brock 289 Pages

You can partner with Heaven’s angelic hosts!

Do you have guardian angels? Does God want you to know them? Find out what Scripture reveals and how YOU can interact with the company of Heaven!

The supernatural realm permeates our natural world! Therefore, experiencing angels should be an everyday occurrence–we simply need to open our spiritual eyes to their reality and role in our lives.

Price: $16.99
Hearing God

Hearing God - for Intimacy, Healing, Creativity, Meditation and Dream Interpretation

by Mark Virkler and Patti Virkler | 192 Pages

Reviewed by Sid Roth on It's SupernaturalWhat does it sound like to hear from Heaven? In this interactive journal, Dr. Mark Virkler takes you on a life-changing journey that reveals three powerful ways you can hear God’s voice and recognize how He is speaking in your life everyday.

Price: $16.95

Pages