Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, Even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses withal:
1 Chronicles 29:3-4
David’s life was shaped and guided by his devotion to God. His longing to see God worshiped and glorified prompted David to plan to build a Temple that would be the center of worship for the one true God of Israel. When God told him instead that his son would do that work, David could have been bitter or disappointed. Instead, he fully dedicated the remainder of his life to preparing the resources that would give Solomon a head start on building a place that would be a worthy home for the Ark of the Covenant. The reason David did that is that his heart—his love, his affection, his desires and his dreams—was firmly planted in the things of God rather than the things of this world.
The things that hold first place in our heart determine how we spend our lives. They guide the use of our time and resources. They direct our decision making and establish our priorities. That is why the first and most important commandment we are given is to love God above all else and with everything that we have.
Where we set our affection reveals what we value most, and those affections will shape how our lives are spent. When God matters most and our affections are directed toward Him, we will not find it difficult to follow His instructions and direction for our lives. Paul wrote, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1-2).
