II Chronicles 3:1 “Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusa-lem in mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.”
Preparing to Build
Have you ever seen a child who was outstanding at something? Perhaps the child plays the piano, sings operas, or swings a golf club like a pro. While the child obviously has an extraordinary natural gift, he or she is building on the ground that parents have prepared. There is always more than meets the eye!
So it was for David and Solomon. Solomon began building the temple “in the place that David had prepared.” David made tremendous preparations in I Chronicles chapter 22 and said, “I have prepared . . . and thou mayest add thereto.” David prepared generously and deliberately before he died.
Someone is building on the ground you have prepared. What ground are you preparing? Why are you preparing it? How are you preparing it? Could those coming behind you build on what you are preparing, or would you be ashamed?
The best way to outlive your life span is to prepare a child for it. The best way to shape the world tomorrow is to prepare a child for it today. Everyone is preparing someone, whether it is by design or by default. You may never see the “finished product,” but you are influencing what is built today.