Custom Housing

• Printable Version - Share on Facebook - Posted by Dion Todd November 2, 2015 - Filed in Devotional - 11,124 views
  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says Yahweh, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope in your latter end. You shall call on me, and you shall go and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11 WEB
  
  I used to work with my Dad who was a lifelong carpenter, building custom houses. When he agreed to build a house, the first step was the plans. How big will it be? Where will the stairs go? How many windows? All these details needed to be known ahead of time and planned out to keep the stove from being installed in an upstairs closet.
  
  It started out as a stack of lumber, then the house was built a piece at a time and in a certain order. The foundation was laid, then the floor, the walls, and the roof. When all the pieces finally came together, it was a house. The roof could not come before the foundation, nor the wiring before a wall.
  
  As a helper that knew nothing, I would like to have hung the cabinets and given them something beautiful to look at, but there were weeks of work to do behind the scenes before that needed to be done. Dad knew that, but I didn't. Also, not everyone liked the same colors that I did. We built some houses that were yellow, while others were gray. In time, all the pieces came together and formed a beautiful home, custom built for the owners and they loved it.
  
  God has laid out plans for our lives, and they are amazing. Plans to prosper us, to give us hope and a future, a good ending. No two of us are alike, so God takes each of us down our own path and at our own pace. As we walk with Him daily and follow the gentle prompting of the Holy Spirit, our lives will come together into something that is beautiful to us.
  
  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some people love attending events and parties, but if you call and cancel your dinner plans with us, we silently thank God for it. Some love to work all day in a flower garden, while to me it would be misery. I love technology and gadgets. It is part of my gift set and God built me like this for a purpose. For you to be happy, it is very important to be yourself like God intended. Your heaven may be my hell. God knows this and builds each of our lives to fit our personality. We can still both love God, and just agree to disagree about our favorite color.
  
  The enemy has plans for us to which are pretty much the opposite: to steal, to kill, and destroy your life and that of your families. We all have to choose between the good and the bad, just like Adam and Eve. No one is exempt. Sure there is forgiveness, but you are always given a chance to not sin.
  
  'No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it' (1 Corinthians 10:13).
  
  If you choose Jesus, and follow Him wholeheartedly, you will be happy with your life in the end. You may or may not die rich and famous, but your life will be full and you will be happy with the way that your life turned out. God has plans for you. If you just work with Him a little each day to keep your life on course, everything is going to be alright. Good things often take time, but rest assured that everything is on schedule.
  
  Prayer: Father, I thank You for all that You are doing in my life. Build me up Lord and craft me into the best version of myself. Share Your wisdom with me and help me to see the big picture. I choose You today, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.