Way back in high school, I remember when they took the roof off of our house and added three bedrooms and a bathroom. The framing of this new level went up before our eyes, and it was so exciting to see so much progress so quickly.
Then the windows went in, and the siding went up, and every day when I returned home from school, it looked the same. There was no longer any visible progress.
The work being done was hidden from the casual observer and was only privy to the contractor (and his workers) and my parents, who were footing the bill. They showed up early each morning and worked a full day, but their work remained hidden.
I would suggest this is similar to how we cultivate our inner life through slowing down and intentional quiet, praying, and regular bible reading. We don’t often see any results or fruit of our labor and devotion right away, which can easily lead to doubting it is worth it.
Sure, there are times when a verse jumps off of the page or answers a question your heart has been secretly pondering. We love those times and should celebrate them. However, we must not depend on them to keep us consistently feasting on God’s Word every day.
We choose to show up at our scheduled time no matter what, whether inspiring or mundane, because inner work is happening. We must trust the Architect, our heavenly Father, and His worker, Holy Spirit, to follow His plans and finish the work he started in us (Philippians 1:6).
One of my favorite verses is Ephesians 2:22, but I will share the surrounding verses to give it the full context.
“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”
Ephesians 2:19-22 NKJV
Did you catch that? We are being built into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. He is slowly, yet deliberately, through our time with Him in His Word and presence, rearranging and remodeling our interior world so He can dwell there more fully.
Then He takes all of us and puts us together in our local churches and as the Ekklesia globally to become His strong, pure, spotless Bride, His very own Body (1 Corinthians 12:12-14,27).
Let’s embrace Him and His work in our hearts and interior life so we can become all He created us to be and look for ways to partner with other believers to advance His Kingdom in every sphere of society.
We each need to play our part in the Lord’s master plan of salvation and restoration of this world from the effects of sin and usher in His Kingdom in its fullness at the end of the age, where Jesus will be on full display in all His glory.
Lord, we want to be consistent and show up daily to spend time with You, whether we feel or sense something. Please give us Your grace to keep our ‘appointment’ with You and cherish it even more than a date with a dear friend or family member. You long to spend quality time with us. We want to know You more deeply and have You inhabit us more fully for the honor and glory of Jesus. Amen.
Copyright © 2023 Alison Lewis, A Secret Spring. All rights reserved.
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