Thursday, June 9

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2016

"Unless the Lord builds the house ,

 its builder labor in vain.

Unless the Lord watches over the city,

 the watchmen stand guard in vain." (Psalm 127:1,2)

These readings touch on Solomon's building of the Temple, and these verses from Psalm 127 neatly summarize the truth behind human vs. godly efforts. We might see this awesome cathedral for worshipping God as perhaps the chief of Solomon's great achievements, but it only came about through a spirit of submission to God's purposes.

Often, when we approach a situation, we turn our minds to figuring out the best solution through reason. I find it particularly challenging not to exercise this skill when listening to others; many people have a built-in desire to solve problems! Clearly, we understand that God has granted us wisdom, but, rightly applied, this wisdom should lie underneath His sovereign authority and direction.

Psalm 127:1,2 point to the vanity of seeking great things without God. Should God desire to become involved in a project, it will succeed according to His purposes and will. The Proverbs urge us to "submit" our plans to Him, meaning that we should first look for direction before moving ahead. We could ask such questions as: "How would You have us honor You with this project? Lord, how may we bring about Your best for Your people?" This submittedness brings freedom and strength, as we look to carry out God's purposes in an ambassador capacity. There is no greater calling!

If we exclude Him from our planning and problem-solving, however, we have no guarantee of success. Indeed, our human sinful nature and the world's decaying qualities often thwart our efforts. This pattern, I believe, ought to draw us back to seeking God wholeheartedly instead of just building up frustration.

On another note, we may not have opportunity to build a cathedral as Solomon did. Nonetheless, we may pour into the lives of others and serve in an honorable way in our work. For many years, several of my college classmates maintained a site called "Building Cathedrals," in which they blogged about the godly calling of motherhood and their efforts in building human cathedrals through discipling their children. What a great vision for life!

To what efforts has God called you in your life? How may you submit them into God's sovereign authority? What cathedrals would you like to see God build into the lives of others?

Lord God, thank You for creating us for Yourself. Thank You for giving us opportunities to serve You and honor You. Bring our minds into focus as to how we may best submit our efforts into Your hands and live completely for Your purposes. To You be all glory, honor, and praise always! In Jesus's Name, amen.