ADVENT WEEK FOUR: LOVE

December 23 Rev. Allie Utley, PhD

Who am I?

2 Samuel 7:18, 23-29

Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O

Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?”

2 Samuel 7:18

This chapter of 2 Samuel opens with King David pondering how to best play

host to God: “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God re-

mains in a tent.” David plans to build a house for the Lord. If you know your

Bible well, you will not be surprised that God isn’t interested in a permanent

dwelling place.

God declares to David, You will not build me a house; I will build you one. God

promises to establish David’s family line, to make his name great, and to plant

his people in a home of their own.

David’s response is a performance of humanity: “Who am I, O Lord God, that

you have brought me this far?” He might have been wondering: Who am I to

be held by your promises? Who am I to bear a legacy of faith? Who am I to be

given a place in your unfolding story?

As we approach Christmas, many of us are thinking about homes and houses

too. Where will we gather? For whom will we make space? What traditions will

we tend? Making plans for Christmas brings up questions of place and identi-

ty.

I recently spoke with a group of young adults trying to navigate the pressure

of holiday expectations: how to honor family traditions while creating their

own rhythms, how to choose where to dwell and whom to prioritize.

Perhaps David’s story invites us to hold our own questions about home lightly.

God reminds David—and us—that the truest “house” is the one God is build-

ing: a household of promise, presence, and peace that transcends cedar walls

and travel plans.

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