Wholehearted Giving

1 Chronicles 29:9
The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly.

This is still the scene where David calls on the leaders of Israel to support his son and the building of the Temple. Shortly before this verse, he lists all the things he has given--his personal treasure of gold and silver. Then the leaders gave silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and jewels.
This generosity caused rejoicing high and low. The giving wasn't coerced or stingy. The leaders' hearts were completely in the giving.
God, help me to give so, whatever I give!

Searched Heart

1 Chronicles 28:9
"And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.

This is a thought to give some pause. The Lord searches every heart and understands every motive--behind the thoughts. Even what I think I'm thinking, God knows what's behind it. Yet that's a wonderful thought, too. No need to try so hard. It's the total opposite of what I experienced growing up. Everything had to appear just so. Little interest was devoted to my heart or my motives.
With God, that is all. If I seek Him, He will let Himself be found. He knows every unworthy and half-baked idea I have, behind the nice ones.
Thank You! Thank You for looking at the real me and still loving! Give me that wholehearted devotion and that willing mind. It's more than I can do on my own.

Footstool of Our God

1 Chronicles 28:2
King David rose to his feet and said: "Listen to me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house as a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, for the footstool of our God, and I made plans to build it.

Six chapters later. Most of the six chapters are lists of names, the Levites, the priests, the army. The importance of this section is David's work on behalf of his son Solomon. David had many sons--he points this out--but this son of Bathsheba was chosen by him and by God for the throne.
In chapter 28 he assembles everyone important, all the power of Israel outside himself, including the mighty men and all the brave warriors. I'll bet some of them were as grizzled and as old as David himself. He needed every one of them to support Solomon against the other sons and upstarts that could threaten him, and he doesn't hesitate to call on their considerable personal loyalty to himself and to his God.
Interesting that he begins his address with the same words he used to Solomon earlier. From there he proceeds to recount the God-given beginnings of his own rule, and God's choosing of Solomon.
Then he gives them a project, coming back to the subject of God's house, which he now calls "a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, for the footstool of our God."
It is inspirational, it turns them to God, it gives them common cause.
God, give me such a cause!

Seeking Heart

1 Chronicles 22:19
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."

This charge is for the leaders of Israel. The directions for building God's house begin with the spiritual. To Solomon he said, "May the LORD give you discretion and understanding when he puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the LORD your God." before he began the list of materials he had collected. For the leaders, he first gave encouragement that God was with them, as proved by his own military successes.
But the essential key to building God's house is to devote the heart and soul to seeking God.
I need to remember that.

House for the Name of the LORD

1 Chronicles 22:7
David said to Solomon: "My son, I had it in my heart to build a house for the Name of the LORD my God.

I don't find this verse in 2 Samuel. In 1 Kings 8 Solomon tells the people of Israel this about his father.
This chapter goes into the extensive preparations David made for building the Temple. He did everything but actually build it. He assembled and prepared the materials, he told Solomon about it, and he told the leaders of Israel to help him.
Because he had the Temple in his heart, he went absolutely as far as he could toward building it. He calls it a house for the Name of the LORD. The Name is God Himself. Only David, who had sought God so consistently, would conceive such a plan.
God, please put some plan in my heart. It doesn't have to be anything so huge, but make it so important that I will do everything I can toward making it real.

Rejoicing Heart

1 Chronicles 16:10
Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

Since the last verse was a rerun, I want to go on to this verse, which I noticed as I skimmed through David's song for the occasion. It's partly the same as Psalm 105. The first 15 verses of the Psalm are the same as the song in Chronicles, but then the Psalm goes into a number of historical verses featuring such heroes as Joseph and Moses, while Chronicles continues a song of praise to God and his glory.
This verse so beautifully combines the heart study with the quick survey of joy I did for the retreat. In a few words it confirms my findings that joy happens in the presence of God. Seeking God plants joy in my secret thoughts, in my inmost self.
What about 'Glory in His holy name'? There's probably some parallelism at work here. God's name is Him. I seem to recall Kay Arthur saying glory involves giving a correct opinion. Give a correct opinion of His holy name. The name. Yahweh-shammah. Yahweh-raah. Yahweh-jireh. Adonai.
Glory. Rejoice. Heart.

Despising Heart

1 Chronicles 15:29
As the ark of the covenant of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart.

We're going back in time to David. This verse is the same as 2 Samuel 6:16, and I wrote on it then. I paraphrased it then in terms of Michal's secret thoughts, but I think you could also consider the heart here as the seat of the affections, passions, and emotions, as distinguished from the intellect and will. She let her emotions rule, and she took the opportunity to speak bitterly and contemptuously to her husband and king.
Her angry rebuke is not brought up in Chronicles, nor David's reply. Instead, from this quick POV switch, we go right back to the worship-party, where David the priest-king makes sacrifices, gives food to all, and gives the worship band his new song. Indeed, the next chapter ends with his blessing his family, and the next one goes on to tell of his inspiration to build a temple. Think of it, the return of the ark was to the tabernacle.
But in the midst of all this worship and joy--one bitter heart.