King David longed to build a temple for God in Jerusalem. God said that since it was in David’s heart to build Him a house, God would build David a “house.” God was not promising a physical house with walls and a roof. The “house” God promised David was a family lineage that would endure forever (v. 12). . . .

My favorite part of raising children was the bedtime routine. I spent quiet, intimate time connecting with each of them. I would lay with them and pray with them. Stories and songs were often part of our quiet time together. One of the songs I often sang over them was, “As the Deer Pants for the Water.”

Every time I read Psalm 42, . . .