House Builders

House Builders

Scripture Reading: Psalm 127:1-6

“Unless the LORD builds a house, the work of the builders is useless.” (Ps 127:1 NLT)

Solomon, the author of Psalm 127, qualified as a house builder. He was the general contractor for the construction of the temple in Jerusalem. His father, King David, gathered all the materials and delivered them to the site location, but his son saw to the construction. The temple was one of the most magnificent structures of ancient times. Its splendor stood as a masterpiece to the glory of God.

     My wife and I had the pleasure of building two houses in our lifetime. One was built in Hermann, Missouri and the other on Fruitland Mesa outside Crawford, Colorado. The first house had a full basement while the other only had a four foot crawl space. Both houses contained concrete foundations reinforced with steel rods to protect them from extreme winters, soaking rains, earthquakes, and tornadoes. A house built upon sinking sands and liquid clay will not withstand the storms of life.

     The same principle holds true in the Christian life. Unless our faith is based upon the solid rock—Christ Jesus—the storms of life will batter the walls until they collapse. Once a solid foundation is established upon the word of God, it is time to add on the superstructure. This step takes time. Each board is carefully chosen and nailed into place. God tells us in his word that new believers need to pursue the milk (rudimentary elements) of the word in order to ensure proper growth. This is attained through consistent Bible study and prayer.

     After the framework is completed and the roof installed, it is time to work on the finishing and refinement on the inside. We had the basic structure of our first house under roof in ten days, but the inside finishing work took several months to complete. The same is true in the Christian life. God has a lot of finishing work to do before we reach maturity. Seeking and obeying God’s will is part of the finishing or maturing process. It is not about insisting on my will, but rather obeying God’s will. All of us will be more productive and more satisfied if we allow God to be the general contractor and take our place as a carpenter (gofer) on his crew.

     What are your plans for today? What about tomorrow, next year, or five years from today? Let God be the builder of your plans for today and the future. Ask God to continue the process of sanctification that will allow the beauty of the work on the inside be reflected on the outside of your house. Follow the principle laid down in Proverbs 16:9;

“We can make our plans, but God determines our steps.”

Prayer: Dear Lord, your know my heart and the amount of refinement I need to be like Christ.