Running into God is like running into a brick wall. You are literally stopped in your tracks. I discovered this (again) first hand when a couple months ago I was talking to Him about some personal things I was struggling with, and throwing in some questions for good measure, when suddenly He spoke. There were no lightning bolts, no writing on the wall, no audible voice, but in the quietness of my time with Him the words from Psalm 127:1a came alive in my spirit: “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it” (KJV).
I did not have to be a rocket scientist to know what that meant. As the weeks passed and as I reflected on that moment, it became clear to me that the struggles I was experiencing were all because I had tried to resolve some things in my own strength instead of trusting Him as I knew I should. For anyone to try to build a life, a relationship, a home, a business, a marriage, a career, or anything else for that matter, is all for naught unless God Himself is the builder. That means putting Him first by building in accordance with His Word. It is no wonder Jesus reaffirms, “Thus, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock” (Matthew 7:24-25). The opposite is also true: “And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined” (vv. 26-27).
Deconstructing the way I was building was not easy as I felt out of control. It was a struggle that lasted weeks and came at a great personal cost. However, everything else seemed secondary at that point as it was important to heed the voice of the Lord and ensure I was building on the right foundation. It is interesting that in the examples Jesus used, both builders did manage to build the house. However, when adversity presented itself only the one that was built on the rock was left standing.
What is the foundation on which you are building your present and future goals and dreams? If God is not at the center of it all, it is time to demolish and rebuild. Anything else will ultimately result in frustration and failure. “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it.”
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