Knowing the Father (Part 3)
Builder.
My grandfather, Frost Carvel, was an architect who designed thousands of homes in South Texas, many of which are still standing. However, to save client’s money, he also took on the Contractor role and watched over the building process. That meant his job was not finished once the blueprints were created. He traveled to job sites daily, and brick-by-brick, watched the homes he created take shape and come to life. That must have been thrilling for him. In the same way, I believe God is like an architect/builder who is thrilled to see His creation, you, taking shape. He has a supernatural interest in you, and doesn’t want to see his building crumble. In the third part of “Knowing the Father,” we will look at how our heavenly Father builds us.
He builds our bodies. Psalm 139:13 says, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” At times, I can complain about the way I look. What about you? However, we must remember that God put our bodies together. He designed our faces, our frame and our inner parts. When we criticize our appearance, we are criticizing the designer. Meanwhile, our Maker does have at least one replacement part. When we accept His Son as Lord and Savior, Scripture says we are given a new heart. “I will plant a new heart and new spirit inside of you. I will take out your stubborn, stony heart and give you a willing, tender heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit inside of you and inspire you to live by My statutes and follow My laws” (Ezekiel 36:26-27). I know I have a new heart. How about you? At one time all I wanted to do was please myself. Now my heart’s desire is to please God.
He Builds a Firm Foundation. God has already poured the slab for all of us, Jesus Christ. The Bible says Jesus has been laid as our firm foundation, whether we acknowledge Him or not (1 Corinthians 3:11) but how we build on this foundation is up to us. Will we construct our house with quality materials, or will we compromise the process with cheap building supplies? Will we allow the Maker full access to the interior of our house? Psalm 127:1 says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” Jesus Christ is also the Chief Cornerstone that holds the entire building together (Ephesians 2:19-22). God wants us to be strong vessels so that our bodies can act as temples to house His Holy Spirit.
One of my favorite necklaces is one I purchased in Shiloh, Israel, the site of the first Temple where God’s presence resided. It’s a replica of the temple and sits directly on my heart, where God’s Holy Spirit now dwells, for those of us who have invited Him in.
He Builds our Faith. We don’t have to make this journey alone. Once we become Christians, we can ask our Abba Father to help us grow spiritually. He’s a creative God who will find countless ways to stretch us. Colossians 2:6–7 says, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” According to The MacArthur Bible Commentary, this “rooting, building, and establishing is in sound doctrine.” Staying connected to, and reading and studying the word of God is a faith builder.
God desires for us to build up others. With the encouragement we received from God throughout our building process, our heavenly Father wants us to pay it forward, so that friends, family members and even acquaintances are strengthened. We are called to comfort people in the midst of trials. Have you ever walked through something difficult, felt like the Lord brought you through it, then you met someone going through the exact issue that you just overcame? That is no coincidence. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says, God comforts us in all of our troubles, “so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” The Builder wants us to encourage our sisters and brothers so that their design withstands the fierce storms that attempt to blow them off their foundation.
If God inspected your house today, would He be pleased with the building, or would there be remodeling required?
Give your life to the Builder, and watch Him create a beautiful design beyond your imagination.