The Bridge His Grandfather Started

In 1929, Joseph Strauss submitted his final design for the Golden Gate Bridge, but he never saw traffic cross it. He died just months after its 1937 opening. What Strauss could not have known was that his bridge would carry over two billion vehicles across the San Francisco strait, becoming the most photographed structure in America and a symbol recognized worldwide. He built for a purpose he understood. God fulfilled a legacy he never imagined.

David came to God with blueprints in hand, ready to build a temple for the Ark of the Covenant. He had the wealth, the peace, the passion. But through the prophet Nathan, the Lord essentially said, "Put down your plans, David. I am the builder here." God did not reject David. He redirected him. "I will establish your house," the Almighty promised. "Your throne shall be established forever."

David wanted to give God a building of cedar and stone. God gave David an eternal dynasty — a lineage that would stretch through Solomon, through the centuries, all the way to a manger in Bethlehem.

This is how the Most High works. We come to Him with our modest offerings, our reasonable blueprints, and He answers with something so vast it spans generations. God does not need our constructions. He is already constructing something through us — a kingdom with no end, exactly as He promised David that quiet evening through Nathan's voice.