But Solomon built Him a house. However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says: 'Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. What house will you build for Me? says the Lord, or what is the place of My rest? Has My hand not made all these things?'
Acts 7:47-50

Stephen was quoting Isaiah 66:1-2, in which God chides us for thinking He needs anything from us, or that we can we can do anything for Him. God is completely self-existent and self-sufficient. That means He owes His existence to no one, and that He needs nothing from anyone. In fact, if we think we can do anything for God, it only reveals that we do not understand God.

David wanted to build a temple for God (2 Samuel 7). God disallowed him to do so. God did allow David to make the plans and gather the materials, but the temple was to be build by David’s son, Solomon, once David was deceased.

Isaiah’s words about not needing anything built by human hands, certainly applies to the building of the Jerusalem temple, but the spiritual implications go even further. God doesn’t need anything from our hand. In 127:1, the psalmist said, “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.” And in John 15:5 Jesus said, “Apart from Me, you can do nothing.”

Let us do what God wants us to do, rather than suggesting to Him what we would like to do for Him. And let us only and always do for God in His strength, whether building our lives, our families, or Christ’s Church.