Not Mine to Finish
“David asked God for a permanent place for worship. But Solomon built it.” Acts 7:46–47 (MSG)
David asked… but God used someone else.
David had the ambition. Solomon had the assignment.
That simple truth carries a weight we often don’t talk about.
David loved God deeply. He wanted to build something beautiful, a permanent house where the presence of God would dwell. It wasn’t just a project to him. It was worship. It was legacy. It was personal. But God said no.
Not because David didn’t love Him. Not because his heart was wrong. But because God had a different plan. A better timing. Another person.
It wasn’t that David wasn’t faithful. In fact, God called David a man after His own heart. Still, the answer to David’s prayer didn’t come through his own hands. It came through Solomon’s.
God used someone else.
Can you imagine how David must have felt? Disappointed, maybe. Humbled. He had fought battles, led worship, written psalms, and unified a kingdom. But this, this he would only get to dream about.
And yet, he didn’t grow bitter. He didn’t withdraw. He leaned in. David did everything but build the temple. He gathered the materials. Drew up the plans. Cast the vision. Set his son up for success. And then, he blessed Solomon and stepped back.
That is the kind of faith we don’t often celebrate.
Faith that prepares the way, even when it doesn’t get to walk the path.
David prayed the prayer. Solomon became the answer.
And that is something we need to remember. In the Kingdom, some prayers are answered through others. What you start, someone else may finish. What you dream, someone else may build. And that is not failure. It is faithfulness. Because legacy is not about getting credit. It is about being obedient.
David had the ambition. Solomon had the assignment. And still, both were used by God.
Some things God puts in your heart, but not in your hands.
That was David’s story. He didn’t finish the work, but he made the way for it. And sometimes, that is the greater act of obedience.
You might raise your children in the faith, and someone else leads them to Christ.
You may pour years into a ministry that someone else gets to grow.
You might sow tears and prayer into a friend’s life, and one day, someone else gets to lead them to Jesus.
You could serve faithfully, prepare deeply, love sacrificially, and watch someone else carry it across the finish line.
And that is okay. That is Kingdom.
Because just because it didn’t happen through you, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen because of you.
Remember this:
Your obedience is never wasted. God honors what you build in private, even if someone else carries it public.
Legacy isn’t about credit. It is about impact. What you start can shape what others complete.
God may use someone else to finish it, but He is still using you to begin it.
So if you are in a season where you're watching from the sidelines, don’t get discouraged.
God sees the seeds you plant. He hears the prayers you pray. And even if He chooses to answer them through someone else:
God, thank You for letting me be part of Your bigger plan.
Even when I don’t see the results, help me stay faithful.
Give me peace when You use someone else, and joy in knowing You still used me to begin it.
I trust You with the outcome.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Make it personal:
Is there something I prayed for that God seems to be answering through someone else?
How do I typically respond when I’m not the one chosen to finish what I started?
What unseen obedience am I being called to continue, even without recognition?
Who can I encourage today that might be carrying forward something I once dreamed about?
