I am not one of those “close your eyes, open the Bible, put a finger on a verse, and see what God is telling me to do” people. Such an approach is not only random, it’s potentially dangerous. Seriously, there’s stuff in the Bible nobody should do; they shouldn’t have done it then, and God isn’t asking anyone to do it today!

Instead, I use devotional guides that feature scriptures that are carefully and prayerfully selected by literally hundreds of different people. More often than not, the selections hit the mark. They hit the mark because this faith journey I’m on is more about my ongoing relationship with God than it is about dropping a line in a pool of holy writings and hoping for a bite.

In other words, I read the scripture in the context of my faith, my trust in Jesus, my family, my faith community, my life as a believer – all my growing knowledge and experience of God; God reveals the word to me. We don’t worship the Bible, we worship God. We worship Jesus, The Living Word. The Bible isn’t the story, it tells The Story, and it is the Greatest Story Ever Told.

THE LORD BUILDS THE HOUSE: So I was pleased, then, to run into the following scripture in this morning’s Upper Room daily meditation:

Unless it is the Lord who builds the house, the builders’ work is pointless. – Psalm 127:1

Rebekah and I are – as regular readers well know – in the process of building a kitchen. It’s a big deal; the project has taken a huge chunk of time; the work is expensive. This two-month venture is in large part a microcosm of life in general, and it begs questions of stewardship, of faithfulness to God’s priorities, and of how we use the resources that God has placed – in trust – in our care.

Or, to paraphrase the words of the psalmist, If God isn’t the very foundation our life together, if our faithfulness to God’s purposes doesn’t infiltrate both the structure and the details, then we’re simply wasting our time.

Really, we both feel so privileged to be here, in this place, helping a community of believers become more vibrant and eloquent witnesses to grace. God – in so many ways – really is building this house.

– DEREK

(the last photos until it’s all done!)