Psalms 38:13 But I, as a deaf man, hear not; And I am as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth. 14 Yea, I am as a man that heareth not, And in whose mouth are no reproofs. 15 For in thee, O Jehovah, do I hope: Thou wilt answer, O Lord my God.

Communication 101 – Must hear -> Must respond.

If a relationship is to make it very far at all, there has to be an ability to not only hear, but appropriately respond. With all the great means of communication via phone, online social networking, and texting, relationships are still brought to a premature halt by the inability to receive or the failure to respond. For all the attempts at relationships that come to the inbox continually, it is only those ones that are deemed “important” that are even read and then, possibly, responded to. Gmail even has a new feature that will help you determine which emails are the most important and place them at the top of your inbox list based upon your established pattern of viewing and responding. For all those “unimportant” attempts at communication it will be as if the recipient were both deaf and dumb. The lack of response will actually communicate something in itself, that there will be no influence or the exchange thereof with this person; they are inaccessible.

There are many different reasons for the failed response. Sometimes it is just a matter of a failed recognition, where the communication is sent to the spam folder or the trash before its value is even considered. Often times a communication that is sent to more than one recipient will seem to be of less importance or value and just be ignored. It doesn’t seem like it will make much difference one way or the other if any response is given. Many times, though, it is just a matter of focus, where there is such a high level of attention already given elsewhere that it is impossible to break through the “focus barrier”. Like the father watching the football game or the child in the middle of the top level of a video game, there may be a mumbled response to the call of their name and the presentation of important information. In actuality, though, they are pretty much deaf and dumb to any entity beyond the realm of their passion of the moment. It’s not necessarily that everything else is insignificant, but for the period of intense focus, nothing else will produce the much-needed response, and relationship, for that moment, is brought to a halt.

There is communication coming our way continually, much of which may bear some merit in itself if read and responded to. There are matters having to do with the state of our economy and how that has directly affected our bank account. Doctors and lenders reports may show up and actually require a response of some kind. Posts are made on our walls and texts show up on our phones from people that are seeking some form of connection. Whether or not there is an ongoing relationship with those attempts, however, has everything to do with the state of our ears and mouths with regard to the attempted communications. If not recognized, valued, understood or focused on, nothing will be heard and no response will be made.

For many there are a large portion of the communications from the ‘Heaven’ address that have not yet been opened, are already filtered to the trash, or simply have not yet been seen. Sadly, the “important” stuff of this world has been given “first response” priority and relationships have been developed on a high level elsewhere through the active responses to those other, more important entities. Their influence has been felt and passed on and their impact on life has been made to the exclusion of the Higher Attempts. The name calls and important information from the Master have not been able to make it past the “focus barrier” that our passions have formed. If after some time there is a perception that He has not said anything, it will only be because He has not been heard and responded to. His attempts have definitely come to the inbox.

Gladly there is a way to reverse this trend and render those spammers powerless. For every one who becomes focused on the Master and responds immediately and passionately to His communication attempts, a relationship will be established that cannot be shaken or influenced by all those meaningless voices to whom we’ve become both deaf and dumb. To them the only communication will be that we are inaccessible and further relationship is not possible.

Psalms 37:4 Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. 6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

I am wondering if there is ever much consideration of earthly things with regard to desire in the heart of the one who has taken their pleasure in the Lord. The way verse four is stated, it could almost be taken like an ad for a free credit card or sure way to win the lottery and have all the resources to get that long list of stuff you’ve been wanting for so long. You know, just do a little delighting in the morning for a couple minutes a day and, “shazaam!”, all those goodies you’ve had your eye on will show up at the front door. What a great and easy way to finally get what had once seemed to expensive or inaccessible.
There is something that is more easily observed from the parent’s perspective when it comes to delighting. For the child who is experiencing this ‘delight’, there is really nothing else that will console or satisfy them. Video games in particular have a way of gaining fixation in the heart of the young person (maybe old too?) and rendering them mostly oblivious to the world.  Recently there was a new release of a game that had been played in the old version, but the new one apparently had significant new features. My son pre-paid a portion to secure his copy at the store around the corner and prepared for the release party that was supposed to take place at midnight on a certain date. The day prior was filled with reminders and expressions of excitement as to his need for a ride to the video store at midnight to secure his copy. Attempts at motivating him towards other worthy pursuits were futile as his heart became set on how wonderful that new gaming experience would be. I took him and his friend to the store about fifteen minutes before midnight to partake of this video game celebration only to discover that he had misunderstood the time and the party had actually occurred 24 hours earlier.
I am glad for my son’s passion and motivation, and that he is willing to do whatever it takes to get something that he becomes fixed on. He will check all the change repositories, mow the lawn, practice his guitar, and do all his house chores in order to acquire that thing he is delighting in. In the season of his passion, though, the only thing his heart is soft towards and completely embracing of is that object or that experience. Offering other things to him in the moments right before his ‘release party’ would not have produced any light in the eye or joy in his soul. In fact, there was a hardness and resistance towards other objects until that new game was acquired. Other games and stuff that had once been ‘must haves’ he would readily sacrifice for that precious new one.  The only thing that his heart desired at that moment was what he has been delighting in and the only thing that could be given to him to satisfy that desire would be that very object.

I believe that the desires that are promised here in this passage have everything to do with this very same principle. If I am truly delighting in the Lord and my heart is soft towards Him, then there is really only one thing that can be given to me at the moment of my delight- Him. He doesn’t just become a means of getting all that world-produced junk that will become obsolete in a few days. He Himself becomes the desire that is given. I love this, too, because His release parties are never missed and gaining Him never comes with regrets or disappointments. He is unfailing in His love and once He is tasted of, every day becomes a ‘release party’ where that thing that delights the heart and excites the soul is celebrated anew with fresh discoverable features. There may be some other treats He brings to the party to give it His touch and make our experience of what He provides that much greater, but the true desire and the true gratification and the true fulfillment will only be Him in the heart of the one who truly delights in Him.

Psalms 21:1 The king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! 2 Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah.

Psalms 36:1 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, There is no fear of God before his eyes. 2 For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, That his iniquity will not be found out and be hated. 3 The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: He hath ceased to be wise and to do good. (ASV)

This description of the wicked heart is done with such understanding and insight. It’s almost like he is right there viewing the condition that enables transgression and actions that are so far from reasonable. It is interesting that David, in many other passages, passionately pleads for the destruction of such corrupted individuals. He has often prayed that the wicked would be utterly destroyed and crushed before his hand.

There seems to be a much different sentiment, here, however. Like a child doing and saying a bunch of nice things to the parent over and above what is normal, it’s hard to not wonder what the real motive is. More often than not, a request for something or to go somewhere is short in coming. David, after the sobering painting of the wicked heart, instead of pleading for judgment, begins to expound upon the lovingkindess of his God. The verses that follow are a passionate description of God’s mercy and love in preserving and caring for His own creation. You would think that there is a plea here for mercy, even for that person that was described as being wicked and worthy of death.

For all David’s transgressions, he obtained a first- hand view of the errant heart and the heart that was set against wisdom and the understanding of the Lord. He had certainly found himself in the position of incredible guilt so many times and in need of mercy rather than judgment. He had been in the place that most of us are in from time to time, realizing our own wrong doing and, rather than seeking punishment, beginning to expound upon the mercy and faithfulness of God. It’s in His light that we are able to see light. vs. 9

With the view of wickedness, so much is changed about desired consequences when the view includes you. What made David so precious before his God was that, instead of attempting to deny that view and run away from it, he developed a pattern of confronting that image of himself in need of a Savior and running to mercy rather than away from it. It was in glorifying God and His love that David was able to discover the freedom and fulfillment his heart so desired. Rather than becoming overwhelmed by the guilt and succumbing to the ongoing damage it would inflict, he knew how to transform his self-image by magnifying God’s. In understanding his need for his Maker and confronting the very thing that would keep him from Him, he was able to replace his own wickedness and embrace the care, compassion and forgiveness of his Heavenly Father.

There is more than sufficient power in the presence of our Father today for ongoing transformation, where our ways are exchanged for His and our life for His life. Confronting those things that are really worthy of destruction – not just in someone else, but in us – will draw us to the goodness in Him, and the repentance He enables. To deny or run away from this image will only reinforce its power, but in describing its first-hand view and then letting that view become overwhelmed by the reality of God’s praise, there will be the much desired deliverance and freedom from that way that has no hope apart from who He is in us.

Psalms 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

1 John 1:5 And this is the message which we have heard from him and announce unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (ASV)

The enemy has a real problem. We are incapable of defeat, we are more-than-overcomers and we are carriers of the very glory of God. So, what’s he going to do in order to get to us and disable our power? Well, one of his favorite strategies is called, “divide and conquer”, where he comes at his impossible task one segment at a time. If he can just separate us from each other and from the source of our strength, the reality of our invincibility will be completely undermined and he will walk away with spoils that should never have been accessible.

This strategy is one that was used by Hitler so successfully in World War 2 as he separated individual countries from their allies, leaving them vulnerable to his blitzkrieg, where he would invade lightning fast before they had an opportunity to unite against him. Then, when an opposing country did present a resistance, he would use their own captured and wounded soldiers as a diversion from their ability to effectively resist him. (“Why We Fight: Divide and Conquer : Frank Capra : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive,” n.d.) As they were occupied with the ‘important’ duties of doing what seemed necessary to them, they were separated from their greater purpose of resisting their enemy. They became scattered and very defeat able.

This strategy is also one that is used in problem solving. By focusing on individual parts of the problem, it is reduced to many disjointed and easily dealt with entities that become completely trivial and insignificant on their own. They don’t really even have to be acknowledged once they are separated, because they are no longer able to resist or advance in the least. (“divide and conquer,” n.d.) The whole elephant becomes eaten as one bite at a time is cut away from the whole.

So, our only really hope is quite opposite of what we tend to do, separate from each other over the most trivial things. He’ll even make it look like something really significant, you know, like caring for the captured and the wounded. As soon as he can get us to say to our Lord and those He’s called us into fellowship with, “Just go on ahead while I take care of this more important matter”, we’ve been cut into a very eatable segment, and we’ve weakened the rest of the body in the process. It’s interesting that Jesus challenged some of the most seemingly justifiable causes like that of family. He said that being with Him and His cause would have to come before even their father and mother and son and daughter. (Matthew 10:37)

It’s interesting that the defining evidence of truly walking in fellowship with our Father as indicated in 1 John 1:5 isn’t our personal relationship with Him that causes us to glow on our own. Our walk with Him always takes us directly to each other where we are provided with strength against the enemy’s ‘sin-attacks’. As soon as we feel that what we have individually is more important than whatever is going on at the Master’s side in the fold with all the others, we’ve become the sheep that has to be sought after for going astray. Our Shepherd will leave the 99 to go after us, but it’s interesting that He has confidence in leaving the many that are together to go searching for the one. They will be so much stronger than the one separated and on his own. The pride that divides is the means by which the unstoppable force of God’s love is cut into trivial and insignificant segments that don’t really even have to be addressed by the enemy any more. They’ll be consumed on their own.

But, if we are truly walking in the light of His presence, our hearts can’t help but be drawn to the gathering around His. We are made to be a body, where all those other dividing elements in life are given up to follow the Lord in His quest for unity and invincibility. United we stand. Divided we fall. (both personally and corporately)

Matt 19:29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. 30 But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first. (KJV)

References

divide and conquer. (n.d.). . Retrieved August 19, 2010, from http://www.itl.nist.gov/div897/sqg/dads  /HTML/divideAndConquer.html

Why We Fight: Divide and Conquer : Frank Capra : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). . Retrieved August 19, 2010, from http://www.archive.org/details/DivideAndConquer

2 Peter 3:3 knowing this first, that in the last days mockers shall come with mockery, walking after their own lusts, 4 and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. (ASV)

So often the very thing that is part of and essential to the solution is seen as a detractor or reason to disbelieve. Rather than embracing it, there is an offense to it and ultimately rejection of the very thing that could have brought deliverance and safety.

Not only did Noah get to work on the seemingly endless ‘arc project’, but he was constantly taunted by those who saw each passing day as further reason to disbelieve. For him, though, there was great appreciation for each moment of the 120 years it took to build it. Rather than getting frustrated with how long it was taking and doubting, he understood the magnitude of the project and how necessary was every day in the construction process. Without the length of time, there would be no salvation for him and his family.

When Jacob set his heart on acquiring Rachel, every day of the seven years he worked to get her was well worth the promised reward. Then, when tricked and required to work an additional 7 years, he continued to value whatever it would take to have Rachel as his wife. If he would have given in to doubt that he would ever be with her, each passing day would have just been an added agitation, but for him it was seen as bringing him that much closer to his prize. Every day of hard work became a reason to be encouraged and glad rather than depressed and overwhelmed with doubt. By valuing the very thing that was bringing him nearer to his heart’s passion, he allowed it to fulfill its function and produce the treasure of life.

The greatest things in life often have the longest wait and the hardest work that precede their acquisition. It would be so wonderful to become a real doctor or lawyer by just filling in a form online, but if you really want to help someone and bring answers to needy people it will require at least 8 years of difficult formal study along with ongoing education for life. The musician and the athlete, no matter how talented will have to endure long years of study and practice, each day of which is essential to the level of excellence that will make them a success. Those few who embrace this process rather than let it become a reason to doubt are the very ones who will know the fulfillment of their heart’s desire.

There may be taunting voices that are heard as the sun rises on another day that is part of the acquiring process. They may be reminding you that here again is reason to doubt the validity of the prize, that surely if it were coming it would have already arrived. How tragic it would have been for mankind, though, if Noah would have given up the day before the first rain drop, and Jacob’s impatience could have altered the very lineage of Jesus, the Messiah. Their appreciation of the process brought salvation not only to them, but to countless others who would benefit from their persistence. Keeping the eye on the prize through whatever it will take to obtain it will disable the power of the voices and bring salvation ever nearer with the passing of each treasured moment.

Heb 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

Mark 16:9 Now when he was risen early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10 She went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 And they, when they heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, disbelieved. (ASV)

Did you ever just not believe? It’s so good to be great at believing, but to be honest sometimes the ole believer just dysfunctions. I’m so glad that when it does, it doesn’t totally disable your identity, your position, your possibilities or your future.

Everybody talks about Thomas and how he refused to believe until he could actually touch the wounds and prove for himself that Jesus was alive. It seems, though, from this passage, that Thomas wasn’t alone, at least in his doubting, because it says here that ‘they’ disbelieved. And, it doesn’t say that two or three believed, but just Thomas was the lone doubter. All the guys there at the announcement had a major brain hurdle. Although Jesus had clearly stated what He was up to, either they were thinking about lunch or they thought He was talking about something more pre-death, because they really weren’t anticipating this amazing turn of events. They were also probably overwhelmed with grief and not thinking clearly and Jesus was probably wearing a different tunic and cologne, and – ok, they could have had a very long list of reasons, but bottom line is, without faith (belief) you just don’t have the capacity to please God, and they, for whatever reason were without it (Hebrews 11). As a result they were without peace of mind or any certainty about how to proceed from this point.

How incredible it must have been, then, when they were together in a closed room, and Jesus comes right through the wall to join them. Not only were they shown probably the coolest miracle yet, but they were also confronted with their own doubt’s exposure.  Their meal with Him is also more exposure of this doubt as Jesus actually gets after them a bit for their inability to believe before seeing. So then, when they were feeling like they had just blown it, He begins to tell them what they are going to do, and it has nothing to do with being put out to pasture for their failure. It’s like their favor- repelling doubt was overlooked for something else that was much more powerful- Jesus belief in them.

Disbelief has a way of putting a label on the brain and becoming an identity. Some people are bold and almost take pride in proclaiming their disbelief in something that Jesus came and gave His life in order to provide. Others might not make an audible proclamation, but there in the heart is a semblance of difficulty in swallowing the whole bite. In both cases Jesus displays a love and understanding that is just as impressive as the walk-through-wall thing. Rather than holding any of this failure against us, He just takes the opportunity of intimacy to replace the doubt with a display of Himself and the lack of hope or purpose with a clear vision of where we are going in our life as one of His very own. His view is never a backward disabling one, but forward and enabling. No matter where we find ourselves on the faith ladder, He sees us complete in Him, without doubt and totally qualified to heal, cast out and do all the stuff that requires only the special qualification of our intimacy with Him.

Mark 16:14 And afterward he was manifested unto the eleven themselves as they sat at meat; and he upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them that had seen him after he was risen. 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned. 17 And these signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. (ASV)

1 Peter 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ suffered in the flesh, arm ye yourselves also with the same mind; for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; (ASV)

So there may need to be (have to be?) a little pain if there’s gonna be any gain.

You know, it would be so nice to look like the guy on the poster or in the magazine who has proudly removed his shirt to display a flat stomach and rippling muscles. But, as nice that would be there is a great battle that ensues when considering whether or not to leave the couch and the banana split for the long  (not really) drive to the gym and the arduous pain inflicting actions that take place there. Repose is sort of nice, too, you know, and while you don’t get the nice flat belly, you do get the nice feeling in the belly, the pain of which is a whole lot more comforting than the ongoing aching the crunches exact. Honest consideration of the long-term effects, however, brings things into better perspective when it is understood the health and emotional benefits that exercise brings, once its pain has been endured. All those tasty treats and long naps, while completely avoiding any challenge to the flesh, will in the end destroy it.

So, while images of running away from the gym to the pastry shop seem way more inviting, there is a significantly more substantial benefit and confidence that will come from the choice to steer towards the conflict rather than away from it. And, once it is understood how beneficial this navigation truly is, a certain joy and excitement will begin to accompany even the turns that take you there. When won, this battle on the field of the mind will result in a victory in the body and in life itself. This understanding will be the armament that defeats and silences the flesh-dominated demands of the way that leads to death.

So often it is just much easier to give in to sin, to say that juicy comment, to partake of a substance, be entertained by perversity, walk away with something, or, you know, just curl up on the couch with the remote and the ice cream as it were. There is a poster, though, of someone who has spent way more time in the gym than the dining room. The more you look at Him, understanding how He defied His flesh and challenged it to become the victor that He is, the more you want to face your challenges the way He did and follow the path He has taken. Far away from the demands of the flesh and its impending failures in the mind, the body, and life, there is a place where the flesh is put under and strength is found. Even the pain from the exercise of it can be reason for joy and encouragement when it is known that the very pain that may restrict movement today is making it possible to have increased strength and effectiveness tomorrow. Pain is actually inevitable with either choice- it is the outcome that will drive the right choice. When the flesh rules it will bring ultimate death, while crucifying the flesh now and becoming identified with Christ puts to death the old man, but allows the risen life of Christ to be experienced in unity with Him.

1 Peter 4:15 For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil-doer, or as a meddler in other men’s matters: 16 but if a man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name. (ASV)

1 Peter 2:7 …but it is said for those without faith, The very stone which the builders put on one side, was made the chief stone of the building; 8 And, A stone of falling, a rock of trouble; the word is the cause of their fall, because they go against it, and this was the purpose of God. 9 But you are a special people, a holy nation, priests and kings, a people given up completely to God, so that you may make clear the virtues of him who took you out of the dark into the light of heaven. (BBE)

Referring to the Spanish church from yesterday’s posting, the church that has been under construction since 1882, every single stone has a specific purpose, and any one left out will compromise the integrity of the completed work. I mentioned that there were still many stones yet set aside on the ground waiting to be placed in their designed spot. It would seem that they are really not all that special until they are functioning in the purpose for which they were designed as part of an incredibly amazing architectural and artistic structure.

While each stone is indeed important and essential, if long ago, at the time the first stones were being placed, a certain stone, the cornerstone, was somehow not appreciated and just set aside, all the rest of the stones may get placed, but the structure’s foundation would always be compromised. It could have been that everything else looked beautiful, with every room, every spiral, and the completed roof in place, but no matter how impressive in appearance and visually representative of a church, it would not have been able to stand. Without that essential foundational element, however, the construction would most likely have not come even close to completion, as very little stability is possible without an even and established foundation.

It would seem that there are many structures that are attempting to look like the temple of the Holy Spirit, but have somehow become less than appreciative of the Word of God, setting to the side the very part that makes it possible. Rather than allowing what might not seem right in their initial view to be securely placed and begin to change how everything else is seen, they attempt to leave what the architect had to say completely out of their building’s construction. Like the dad attempting to put the toy together without the instructions, everything will at some point have to be taken apart to include that most important part that didn’t look like anything at first. Attempting to look the part is not enough and just being passionately impressed by the Designer will be of little worth if what He has said is ignored.

I’m sure this has always been an issue for some who have wanted to have salvation and live in the promises but have disallowed the significance of the Word’s placement in the foundation of their lifestyle. In our present day, though, there seems to be a great many who let the very answer to their life become an offense and reason for dissension and separation. Wanting to just take the love, forgiveness, understanding and goodness of God, they set aside what He has said about purity and holiness with regard to their choice of consumption, entertainment, social, and sexual practices. It may be possible to set up a façade and conduct some services, but wherever the cornerstone has been set aside, there can be no hope of a long standing structure. Just attempting to use a chip off the block will also never provide the integrity that only comes with the whole Word, where everything else gets placed around it and on top of it rather than somewhere else.

There is a securing of structures today that will require the whole stone in foundations. Rather than getting put off by its form and trying to chip it off to look like we might want it to look like, there will be such freedom, beauty, functionality, and stability when it is embraced in its entirety and made to be the honored and preserved center of every other portion of our structure. Great relief, confidence and peace will be found in allowing the Word to be what only He can be, and just rising up strong and secure upon Him.

Isaiah 28:16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

4 To whom you come, as to a living stone, not honoured by men, but of great and special value to God; 5 You, as living stones, are being made into a house of the spirit, a holy order of priests, making those offerings of the spirit which are pleasing to God through Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:4-5 (BBE)

Several years ago my brother and I spent a couple months in Europe, riding the train and seeing as many sites as possible. A great part of the European experience is the many churches, most of which were constructed hundreds of years ago. They are really great works of art and architecture. It was so amazing to walk through them and realize the inspiration, resources, and extreme effort that went into construction of a structure, the purpose of which was to worship and glorify God.

Most of the churches we visited had been completed long ago, and there was one partially damaged church in the middle of Berlin that remained as a memorial to the devastation of the Second World War. There was one church, however, in Barcelona, Spain that was and is still under construction. It is a massive stone structure designed by a famous architect, Antoni Gaudi, and while ground was broke for its construction in 1882, it is still incomplete. I remember walking through it in areas that were still without a roof and noticing stones that had apparently been cut, numbered, and placed into specific piles in the vicinity of where they would be used. It was so different to see this stage of such an amazing structure and realize that each one of those stones, while seemingly insignificant and without purpose on the floor, would some day be an integral part of a completed work of art. When finally placed in the exact spot for which it was designed and hewn, it would take on incredible significance and worth.

I can’t help but think about that scene in relationship to the ongoing construction of the house the great Creator began so very long ago in Christ. It was designed to the smallest detail of each stone and the placement that would bring it ever closer to the completed work. While the overall form has risen high as a demonstration of the glory of God, there is yet a need for each stone that has yet to find its place. Though the plans are impeccable and each dimension is precise in its crafted form, each unique stone will never find its life and its true purpose until it becomes a part of the growing structure. There are many rooms in the house that might not have a roof, that might not have walls, that might not have steps, and are just awaiting the placement of the many connected parts that will bring function and purpose to the living structure. For that to happen there will have to be a loss of isolation and a giving up of the individuality the spot on the floor provides, to become connected and identified with a much greater purpose.

Jesus was the first stone to leave His individual identity to be connected with a greater purpose. He could have remained off to Himself in heaven in His beauty and perfection, but He chose to lose His separated self to become connected with each of us in a structure of even greater significance. How great it is when each of us follows His example and submits to the hands of our craftsman to be placed in His living structure, His body, and His temple. How much greater the value and purpose of the stone that is finally in the specific place for which it was designed so long ago.

Psalms 34:2 KJV  My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

So why is it that the humble are the ones getting all glad about someone else boasting in the Lord? Why should it make any difference to them at all? Could it be that they get their inspiration for gladness from the fulfilled purpose in someone else, and that a boast that is made in Lord is recognized as one that is declaring the provision, empowerment, and complete salvation that has come at the hand of the Almighty? Rather than needing to look in the mirror in order to find something to be glad about, it would seem that the humble person is inspired, humbled, encouraged and made glad when they hear of how another has been raised to life in Christ. It is, in fact, this very others focus that establishes their humility and ultimately their gladness in life.

While there is a strong tendency to be driven to excellence in pursuit of one’s own happiness, there is a much more substantial and reliable pursuit in the quest for excellence that has its purpose in lifting as many others to their best and their own boasting in the Lord. As long as the vision of others is only downward, their successes will bring jealousy and depression, while in humility there is fodder for thoughts of celebration at the exaltation of another who has found their hope in Christ. Great motivation is also obtained for becoming all you can be in order to be in a position to lift them ever higher.

There is a path to unlimited gladness under the feet of the humble– those who have their focus lifted up– on the Master and on others.