2 Samuel 7:18–29, Taking Our Place

Verse 18: “Then King David went into the presence of the Lord and took his place there and said, ‘What am I, Lord God, and what is my family, that thou hast brought me thus far?’”

We all long for and need our place. A sense of love and belonging, which defines our place in relationships, is a basic need, according to Abraham Maslow. We experience our sense of self, who we are, in our feeling relationship to others—people, animals, environments, objects, etc. The titles we have, the labels we are given, and the roles we assume are means of defining our place in the outer world. They can help us relax and feel good about ourselves, or they can limit and thwart our wholeness.

King David went “into the presence of the Lord” and talked about his future. He asked God “to make good on what thou hast promised” (verse 25) regarding his place in the world. This provides a beautiful picture of a conscious relationship between our ego and Self/God Within. King David’s going “into the presence of the Lord and (taking) his place there” is symbolic of our ego turning towards the Self/God Within.

We often set off on daily pursuits and activities feeling as if we have to make things happen and do things by ourselves. We act all important and all powerful until we are reminded of our limitations and interdependency with others. What happens in these moments determines the felt experience we have! We can thrash about in our limitations or we can seek to connect with our larger Self that transcends any one thought, feeling, action, or moment in time and space. We can choose to stay unconscious of the Self/God Within, or we can consciously choose to call on the Self and ask for help.

How do we know “our place” with the Self and others? Our place begins in our body and mind. The felt quality of our inner world will extend into our experiences with others. When we feel at home in our own skin, comfortable with our inner world of sensations, emotions, and intuitions, we are more likely to have this experience with others. If we encounter rejection and hatred in the outer world, we are more likely to keep our place—to still feel our value and worth in spite of feeling hurt and sad. In contrast, when our thoughts, feelings, and actions towards ourselves reject and “throw” out our felt inner experiences, we end up without a place.

Our place of greatest struggle and unrest or greatest ease and contentment is within our self/ego with our Self/God Within. King David’s example of talking with God about his life and future shows us the way to move towards ease within ourselves. Once we have an alignment between our self/ego and Self/God Within, we can navigate whatever we need.

Inner Reflection
Take a few minutes to turn your attention and intention towards sensing, knowing, and dialoguing with the Self/God Within. Invite your energies to come home into your body-mind as you breathe deeply and slowly. Notice what feelings, thoughts, and memories arrive. Continue breathing and invite each to take their place within your psyche/soul.

As you begin to feel the place you have within your body-mind, offer the concerns, desires, and gratitude you have at this moment to the Self. Listen for the, often wordless, response of God Within. Let your self consciousness and transcendent consciousness strengthen your place with yourself.


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