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2 Corinthians 5:1 – For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (NKJV)
Acts 2:17 – And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. (NKJV)
I recently spent some time with my husband finishing a basement in an existing home for a job he was working on. From a bare concrete floor evolved a bathroom, two bedrooms, and a living room space. In a weekend, 475 square feet of unused space became usable space. What amazed me, though, was the fact that no drawing was needed; no marks on the floor were used to define the places where the walls were to be put. My husband had seen the space and was able to see what could be created from this space. My job was cutting and nailing wood in order that walls could be made and put into place. My husband would show me where it was to go and how long and tall it needed to be. I just followed directions. He was able to see the finished product even before the work began; he is a visionary. On the other hand, I was not able to see how it would look, and I required frequent direction to ensure that the job would be completed. It was amazing as the weekend progressed and walls and doorways defined a living space.
How many times we are in situations that require us to work and follow something by faith, when we are not able to see the finished product. God works many situations in our lives like this. He sometimes puts people into our lives who are visionaries, and we are called to follow.
Several stories in Genesis are about not seeing, but believing and following directions. Noah was given a vision to build an ark, long before the rains came, and the family who helped him on this were unable to see the finished product. Yet they followed direction and saw the project to completion. Abraham was called to leave the security of his own country and go to Canaan, which he had never seen.
This weekend event challenged my thinking, as I was eager to follow the directions on the building project even though I couldn't see the finished product, but the Lord pointed out to me how at times I am not so eager to follow His directions when it comes to other things in my life. It was a reminder that our relationship with Jesus needs to be in good standing at all times. We need to be trusting Him and turning to Him in all aspects of our lives.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for the people in our lives who can see things before they are even begun. Help us in our unbelief at times. Jesus, we want to be in a right relationship with You at all times. Help us to come alongside others and shine light into their unbelief and give them a vision in their lives. In Your name, we pray. Amen.
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Thank you Julie.
Very encouraging Julie. Blessings.
Lovely Julie. Thanks for sharing this thought.
Hi Julie,
Thank you for an inspiring devotional. It was one I needed to read at this point in my life.
Thank you for sharing this vision of following Christ’s directions for our lives so that our ‘space’ may become what He envisioned from the start. Blessings.
Hi Julie
Enjoyed your inspired devotional today. The building project is a great picture for trusting by faith what God is up to!
(BC)
Hi Julie,
Being a teacher in the days when paying teacher a livable wage was not quite the idea of many school boards, renovating old houses and basements was a common thing for teachers to have to master. You devotional brought back many memories. But the most wonderful memory was the way in which the Lord carried us through.
Today even my children have no need to call in anybody to do any kind of job. And for all of that we praise the Giver.
Blessings.
Hi Julie.
Very well written with a great reminder to go on, in the words of a hymn, “And where I cannot see, I’ll trust, for then I know God surely must still be my all in all.”
How true Julie,
Blessings.