March 9, 2017
The Architect of My Life
Mary Southerland
Today’s Truth
For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11, NLT).
Friend to Friend
Our son was born to be a builder. From the time he could hold a plastic red hammer in his toddler-sized hands, Jered began hammering imaginary nails into the coffee table, fixing everything that was broken in our house. No wooden surface in our home was safe from Jered’s scrutiny or design.
Since my husband enjoyed woodworking, he decided to build Jered a miniature workbench beside his own. Several nights each week, Dan and Jered headed to the garage to pound and hammer and do what they called “man stuff.” I thought it was cute – a philosophy that would drastically change in the years to come.
When he was in middle school, Jered built a clubhouse inside our garage. And what a clubhouse it was! For weeks, Jered scrounged wood and “treasures” from neighborhood dumpsters and construction sites. The clubhouse was made largely of plywood but had a carpeted floor, four walls, and a roof. Jered cut out windows and found an old rusty – but still working - window unit to keep him and his friends cool during their club meetings. It was truly a work of art!
Jered built a jewelry box for my birthday and a toy box that held his prized Mutant Ninja Turtles. If we needed storage cabinets in our garage, Jered built them. He designed and built a queen-sized bunk bed over a built-in desk and bookshelves to conserve space in his room. We no longer bought furniture. Jered simply built it. Looking back, I didn’t realize those plastic tools would pave the way for our son’s career. Today, he is a Project Site Superintendent for a large construction company as well as a master carpenter and builder.
Jered reminds me of another young man who was destined to become a builder – Jesus.
Jesus’s earthly father Joseph was a carpenter and taught Jesus everything he knew about being a master carpenter. In those days, it was not uncommon for the son to carry on his father’s business. I often wonder if Jesus didn’t have a little workbench beside Joseph’s. I imagine Jesus probably followed His daddy around, hammering alongside His father’s true blows. Joseph may have had to remove a few stray nails driven by Jesus and even repair a few of his son’s “jobs.”
Did Jesus make a jewelry box for His mother, or did He build a piece of furniture that Mary treasured like I treasure everything Jered has ever built for our home? Jesus was just like His Father – God, the ultimate architect and builder.
Yes, God is the Master Creator, but His greatest creations are not of wood or stone. God was and is the creator of eternal masterpieces like you and me. His blueprint for our lives is second to none, is detailed in the Word of God, and is without flaw as it molds us into the image of God.
We are His living masterpieces - created by the One who knows us best and loves us most.
There are no accidents with God. Before we were ever conceived in the heart and mind of man, we were conceived in the heart and mind of God. Wanted, loved and planned since before the world began. He had a plan in mind and lovingly, purposefully created us in response to that plan.
I know there are days when the plan of God seems completely wrong, and we simply don’t understand. Every moment is pregnant with darkness, and our hearts are numb, paralyzed by fear and doubt. We are treading water in the stormy seas of life, desperately longing to see God walking on the treacherous waves toward us, rescue in His hand. It is in those shadowed moments that we must choose to trust the Plan Maker, the Master Designer.
Even though our faith is small, and we cannot understand the plan or make sense of His divine blueprints. God’s ways are higher than our ways. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. And one day, every one of our question marks will be yanked into exclamation points as we see that plan like God sees it – perfect.
Today, Girlfriend, set aside your meager agenda. Lay down your limited life arrangement and look for God to meet you at the point of surrender – power and victory in His hands. Now that is a great plan created by God, our Architect and Builder.
Let’s Pray
Father, please forgive me when I stubbornly choose to ignore Your plan. Thank You for always being ready to rescue me from my own selfish desires and decisions. Help me remember that Your plan is the highest and best plan for my life and give me the strength to follow You. I want to honor and please You, Lord.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Read and memorize 1 Corinthians 3:16 that says, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” How does this verse impact the way you live, think, and act? Record your thoughts in your journal.
More from the Girlfriends
Have you ever wondered why you were even born? Do feelings of insecurity and doubt plague your life? Mary’s book, 10-Day Trust Adventure, will lead you to understand how valuable you are and help you learn to trust God as you discover His unique design for your life. Check it out!
Be sure to check out the FREE MP3s on Mary’s website and connect with Mary through email or on Facebook.
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Originally published Thursday, 09 March 2017.
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