- faithpreseco
Devotional: May 12, 2021
Or, to put it another way, you are God’s house. Using the gift God gave me as a good architect, I designed blueprints; Apollos is putting up the walls. Let each carpenter who comes on the job take care to build on the foundation! Remember, there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ. Take particular care in picking out your building materials. Eventually there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you’ll be found out. The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won’t get by with a thing. If your work passes inspection, fine; if it doesn’t, your part of the building will be torn out and started over. But you won’t be torn out; you’ll survive—but just barely.
First Corinthians 3: 9-15 The Message
The bible tells us that our bodies are the temple of God. How do we build upon the foundation that the Lord has given us? That is what this scriptural passage is about.
Do you offer the Lord your best, or are you physically tired, and only half-awake when you turn to Him?
Do you schedule your daily life around your time with the Lord?
Or do other things take priority?
As we age, our spiritual structure does not fall away. Rather, it can grow stronger.
Last year, we re-did the electrical service at church, as part of the remodeling process. I say “we”, but I really mean Scott Kruse and his team. The very last part of the electrical work was to have it inspected by the electrical inspector. Having the inspector come in is how we are assured that everything was done correctly, and is now up to code, and safe to use. We passed our inspection with flying colors.
We knew that the electrical inspector would be coming at a specific date and time. Our electricians were prepared and had done everything they believed to be correct. If there is ever a need to change something, that is when one is thankful for a thorough check by the inspector.
Here, Paul compares living out our faith with the process of building a house. He encourages the use of the finest building materials. Inferior building materials will be discovered and flagged. When we cut corners, it will be discovered.
Are you offering the Lord your best, or just the leftover scraps you have at the end of the day?
Are you daily building your life with the Lord?
Do you think of the Lord as checking in, and inspecting your life, and seeing how you are doing?
You may recall a story in the news a few years ago, when people were getting sick after moving into newly-constructed homes. Eventually they were able to trace the source of the illness to a batch of inferior sheetrock from China. It was contaminated, and outgassed toxic fumes which sickened people. The only way to resolve the problem was to take all of the sheetrock out of the newly built homes. Here is one article about the scandal:
4557473002 www.news-press.com
Sometimes, we may need to tear down things that we have built which were not up to the Lord’s standards. When God offers us the best material, is it right to use a poorer quality? The Lord offers us the very best through His word to us, and most importantly, though His time.
When we spend time with the Master Builder, our foundation will become stronger, making for a sturdy and solid home. Yes, there will be storms. Sometimes, disasters may even damage or take out the outward structure. Yet when you have built with the very best, in such a way that it would pass the Lord’s inspection, you will have peace in your life.
May we all offer to our Lord only our very best. After all, He gave his very best to us through the life, death, and resurrection of His son Jesus. Therefore, build your life well. Use only the finest materials, and build solely upon the solid foundation of Jesus Christ.
Prayer
Merciful Lord,
I thank for being willing to help me build, and sometimes build again, the spiritual home You want to share with me. Help me to use all the tools you offer me. Lead me away from the temptation to offer you less than the best, trying to get by with inferior materials. May I build a structure that brings glory to You. I pray this prayer in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen
