Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today- October 31, 2011
“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain”. Psalm 127:1
The Lord does not build shabby structures. What He touches becomes a testimony to His greatness. Relationships built on Jesus Christ flourish because He becomes the reference point for love. A business or ministry with the values of Jesus woven throughout creates a cultural fabric of excellence. And a life structured by its Savior is able to withstand the trials, tribulations and successes of society.
Is the Almighty the architect of your endeavors? If not it is a vain business model. Without the Lord’s blessing you will lose your way, and eventually the will to continue. Sometimes working harder only drives you further from heaven’s help. This is especially true during difficult days. So take an extended time to fast and pray for the Lord’s leading.
Make sure your efforts are united under God to execute excellent outcomes. Adversity exposes inefficiencies, like light reveals termite-infested damage to the dark places in a house. It may be the foundation of your finances crumbling under the weight of debt. If so, avoid further debt and ask your creditor to work with you to resolve your obligations. Honesty and humility are twins of trust during troubled times.
“My child, if you have put up security for a friend’s debt or agreed to guarantee the debt of a stranger—if you have trapped yourself by your agreement and are caught by what you said—follow my advice and save yourself, for you have placed yourself at your friend’s mercy. Now swallow your pride; go and beg to have your name erased. Don’t put it off; do it now! Don’t rest until you do” (Proverbs 6:1-4).
Moreover, make sure money is not your master, but the servant of your Master builder, Jesus. Do not let fiscal pressure force you to take short cuts and compromise quality. Instead, become more excellent and you will stand out among other average enterprises. Spend your strength for your Savior, labor for the Lord and vanity will vanquish. The Holy Spirit replaces futility with fulfillment, faith and freshness. So, by God’s grace, build a ministry, business or home that lasts through economic upturns and downturns.
Let go of people who brought you to this point, but who will not take you to the next level. The Lord can handle providing their next assignment and your next new team member. Cut costs, increase margins and prayerfully improve your product and services. Hard times are preparation to become better for the good times. Therefore, replace vanity with a compelling vision, and any confusion with a clear mission. Above all else, build on the foundation of faith in God, by praying for the Lord’s plan to be preeminent.
Jesus says, “The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock” (Matthew 7:25).
How does God want me to adjust my life and work so that He is the Master builder?
Related Readings: Amos 9:6; Haggai 1:8; Luke 6:46-49; Ephesians 2:21
Give the gift of wisdom and receive a gift of wisdom: Sign up five friends, click: http://bit.ly/q4217i for the free daily devotional. Then email rita@wisdomhunters.com to let her know and she will send you a link to download a complimentary copy of the new 90-day day devotional eBook Seeking God in the Psalms.
Additional Resource: eBooks- Wisdom for Fathers, Wisdom For Mothers, Wisdom for Graduates, Infusion, Seeking Daily the Heart of God and Seeking God in the Psalms… click here: http://bit.ly/jHlNX0 All titles also available from the iBook store for iPad
Additional Resource: Printed copy of the 365 day devotional: Seeking Daily the Heart of God and the 90-day devotional books Infusion and Seeking God in the Psalms… http://bit.ly/bQHNIE
Support Wisdom Hunters: Learn how you can help us reach other Wisdom Hunters with your monthly donation… click here: http://wisdomhunters.com/support-wh/
Comments are closed.