100 Days with David 2025 Day 85: Our greatest zeal should be for the work of the Kingdom of God.

“I have become a stranger to my brothers, And an alien to my mother’s children; Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up, And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭69:8-9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I’ve always been intrigued by the things for which people develop great zeal. We’ve all seen the avid sports fans who will sit bare-chested in freezing weather, painted with the colors of their team, rooting on their side as if their very lives depended on it! Indeed, I know of college football team rivalries where opposing team enthusiasts literally hate each other, and are willing to fight over their allegiance.

Some people are zealous over their hobbies, spending every free moment—and a lot of money—to that end. They may spend hours poring over information regarding the object of their enthusiasm.

Some people have “wonder lust.” At any particular time you will find them either returning from traveling, traveling, or planning their next travel itinerary. I know of people who even subjected themselves to risky vaccines they otherwise would not have taken, just so they could continue to travel during lockdowns.

I know this next statement is going to sound judgmental; but it really is not meant that way. Rather, it is expressing how I personally feel. So here it is: I believe that much—if not most—of our zeal, is misplaced.

Now, don’t misunderstand, I’m not saying that we shouldn’t have interests, enjoyment, entertainment, etc.; there’s certainly a place, and function for those things. However, to possess the level of passion some people have for things that really are meaningless (in terms of the Kingdom of God), seems like a distortion, a waste of this precious life.

Bottom line: I believe that if we love the Lord the way we should, we will have nothing in our lives about which we are more zealous than His Kingdom and His righteousness.

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”

‭‭Titus‬ ‭2:11-14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Considering what the Lord has done for us, how can we be nonchalant about His house and His work? Additionally, how can we not be zealous concerning His return?

In today’s portion from David’s psalms, we see David expressing his zeal for the house of the Lord and the fact that this zeal had alienated him from others. Now, he’s not so much referencing zeal for a building per se, but what the building represents, what he experiences therein: the presence of God, the rule of God, the work of His Kingdom. Interestingly, as in many other statements of David, this proved to be a prophetic statement, expressing the zeal Jesus would show for His Father’s house:

“Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.””

‭‭John‬ ‭2:13-17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Given, it’s not wrong to have passion over different things in our lives; but there is something off when our zeal for other things outweighs our zeal for the concerns of our Lord.

For today let us know and understand what David knew:

Our greatest zeal should be for the work of the Kingdom of God.

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!