This week I read an interesting verse in I Chronicles 22. In this chapter David is charging his son, Solomon, who is becoming King with instructions for building the temple. David had an idea to build God a permanent place of worship and set out to do so, only to be stopped by the Lord and told that his son was to do the task and not him. So David obeyed and left the building to Solomon, but he provided the motivation, insight, casting of the vision and gathering of the supplies.  David was serious about this task and wanted to see his dream followed through.
In the above noted verse David moves from listing his provisions for Solomon to addressing the leaders of Israel and says “Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord your God. Begin to build the sanctuary of the Lord God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the sacred articles belonging to God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the Lord.” Here is what I found interesting:
Beth Moore explains in her book David that the “Hebrew word for devote is nathan. It means “to give, place, add, send forth. Nathan indicates fastening something in place” (she is quoting Warren Baker’s The Complete Word Study Old Testament here) She then explains that David tells Solomon and the leaders of Israel to fasten their hearts to seeking the Lord.
So I started thinking about what it means to fasten something in.
The first thought that came to my mind was the way I fasten my younger kids into their car seats! I take time to make sure it is done well, they are important people to me and I want them riding in that car safely!! I even take extra pains to making sure the car-seat itself is fastened in the car well (I do the knee in the seat-push real hard -pull on the seat belt forever thing – we do not have the newer car restraint system that changes this ritual)  And it is this picture that David says we should do with our hearts – fastening it in like a child in a car seat.
Now the second thing that came to mind was being fastened into a harness to repel or other rock climbing. I once jumped off a bridge in Switzerland only because I felt sure I was fastened in well to the life line that was going to pendulum “catch” me  and swing me for a ride. (I have to admit I was pretty nervous about this jump and made sure I did not look down before jumping!) And here again we find David’s word – fasten that heart in like you would a rock climbing harness to your life line – as if your very life depended on it.
And I guess that is what is similar with both pictures the car seat and the rock climbing harness, it is life and death and therefore we consider the fastening very important. It is true with my heart and soul as well!! I should fasten my heart to seeking the Lord, strap it into the car seat, set the car on the course to God and enjoy the ride. I should fasten my soul into seeking the Lord, harness it in with the best equipment so that I can take that leap of faith diving after the Lord 
 How great is that, and what a challenge!
I think I have some fastening to go do!
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