Original Blog posted March, 2009.
I just returned from spending a few days on the Choctaw Indian Reservation
in Mississippi. I stayed in a brick building that was built around the turn of
the century and was originally a girls dorm for an agricultural school where
young girls were taught how to maintain a plantation home and young boys were
taught how to run a plantation. The dorm was a beautiful huge brick
building with 10 bedrooms, several bathrooms, a big kitchen and living room.
One morning I walked around the grounds where the old agricultural school
used to stand. As I wandered around, I came upon the ruins from the main
building of the school. All that was left of the main school building was the
brick/cement foundation. The foundation was in very good shape. As I snapped
this picture of the foundation, God put an analogy in my mind.
As I looked at that foundation, God showed me a picture of how Jesus is our
foundation. And, like this foundation, He is very strong and sturdy. Like this
foundation, He stands firm. Like this foundation, He is there to hold us up.
Then God showed me the picture of a Christ Follower who has never grown in their walk with the Lord. They look just like this empty foundation. Jesus is right there walking along side of them, holding them strong and sturdy, but they haven't built anything upon their foundation. Their foundation is all that is there to their Christian walk. Like this foundation, their foundation is not being used.
After snapping the above picture, I wandered back to the girls dorm and snapped the following picture:
As I snapped this picture, God showed me the picture of a Christ Follower
who has grown in their walk with the Lord. The Christ Follower who has grown in
their walk with the Lord looks like this beautiful house. Much has been built
upon Jesus, their foundation. They use their foundation every day. Their faith
is strengthened and they live in obedience because they understand that their
foundation needs to be built upon in order to come into the fullness of the life
that God wants them to live.
Building on Jesus, our foundation, is what God desires for each of us. As
we build upon our foundation, we deepen our personal relationship with the
Lord. As we deepen our personal relationship with the Lord, other people
notice. As other people notice, we begin to make a difference in their lives.
And as we make a difference in other people's lives, our lives get richer and
fuller. And, ultimately, we come to understand I Peter 2:9 that says, "we are
a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God"
and then we can fulfill our purpose in life at the end of that verse that says,
"that we may declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His
wonderful light."
I've asked myself this week, "How is your foundation, Sherry? Does it stand empty? or Have you built upon it to make it into a beautiful picture? Will your foundation pass the test found in I Corinthians 3:12-14 which says, 'If any man builds on this foundaiton using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will received his reward.'" To God Be The Glory!
Encouraging You In Christ!
All Praise, Honor and Glory to God!
No comments:
Post a Comment