When We're Left in Ruins
It's inevitable that, in life, we will face uncertainties. If you're anything like me, you've lost your way a thousand times. There will be times in life when you don't handle situations the way you know you should, you'll let someone's words get to you, or you'll fall into the pit of temptation. With each adversity, the temple of your soul begins to take fire. Cracks will begin to form in the foundation of the temple of God that is within you. If the foundation of an establishment begins to crack and wear, it is a sure sign that the entire building will crumble and fall. Likewise, if we allow cracks in the foundation within us, sin will sneak in while we're vulnerable and take over leading us to devastation and exile.
Now, the Babylonian exile that the Israelites faced in the Old Testament was extreme, but it was ultimately due to their lack of desire to serve God wholeheartedly. In today's world, we serve a forgiving God because we have seen Christ salvation. This means that even when we allow our foundation to crack, God will not allow us into exile like he did the Israelites. However, I firmly believe that if we allow cracks into the foundation of God's temple within us, we may allow ourselves to be led into a form of exile by sin. Bear with me here.
In my case, poor decision after poor decision led me into an exile that I created for myself through repetitive sin. I spent years making poor decisions, and with each bad decision I made, I allowed sin to pull me further and further into captivity until I was so engulfed in sin that the roof caved in and the hole establishment of God inside of me fell over. With each bad decision, I took a blow to the foundation until the foundation was so week that it couldn't stand up anymore. I felt so distant from God that it looked like there was no way to rebuild.
But you see, there IS a was!
The Importance of a Strong Foundation
When we're in captivity to sin, it really may look like there's no road home. I'm sure when the Israelites were held captive under King Nebuchadnezzar, they felt the same way. They may have thought God abandoned them or didn't love them anymore. They might have even blamed God for their self-inflicted pain. But even when things look bad, they're not. Why? Because God will make a way where you don't see a way. Despite the mistakes made by the Israelites, and despite the mistakes you and I make, he is always willing to give us another chance. And that is exactly what he did for his people Israel.
It was God who moved the heart of King Cyrus of Persia to make the proclamation stating that the people of Judah may return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple of God (Ezra 1:1-4 NIV). Similarly, God can turn your heart back to him, but you HAVE to let him. Like the Israelites did, and like it is with every building being built, you've got to start with the foundation. If you don't have a strong foundation, it is sure to crumble when conditions get rough.
When we start with a strong foundation, we are allowing our faith to sit on a solid rock. When the winds of sin blow, it won't topple over. When the earthquakes of poor decisions shake the ground you stand on, your faith will not falter. When the storm of negativity moves in, the rain won't wash you away. Your new foundation in God will allow you to stand strong in the face of adversity, and you'll be able to rest easy in him because you know that he won't let you fall captive to the exile of sin again.
Rebuilding
Rebuilding anything that has fallen is going to be hard work. You have to clear out all of the rubble of the old and bring in all of the new materials you'll need to lay the new foundation down. We must be patient and diligent, but most importantly, we have to trust God. We don't know what the future holds, but if we put our wholehearted trust in the Lord our God, we can know that whatever it holds won't destroy us again. Psalm 9:10 NIV says, "Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you." He never forsook his people of Israel, despite their repetitive sins against him, and he will never forsake neither you, nor I. However, we MUST repent!
Also, we must be completely obedient to God and follow his word. The first place I turned to when I knew it was time for me to return to the Lord was a tiny, green pocket Bible my husband gave me one day. I own three of my own larger Bibles (though they hadn't been opened in years), but there was something about this little Bible that spoke to me. It spoke healing into my wounds. It was this miniature bible that started my first act of obedience to God; reading it every morning. I would pick a verse from the front of the book that was labeled "depression," or "anxiety," or "peace." Because I stayed diligent in reading this Bible every morning, God grew my desire to be close to him again. I started craving time with him like I used to crave alcohol. He blessed me with the knowledge and self-discipline that I use to this day on my walk with him. Staying in the word is staying close to him. If you surround yourself with the word, you will find it easier to walk in obedience to him. In turn, this will strengthen your foundation (and relationship with the Lord) and leave less room for cracks to set in.
Give a Great Shout!
"With praise and thanksgiving, they sang to the Lord:
'He is good
his love towards Israel
endures forever.'
And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid." (Ezra 3:11 NIV).
It really is a joyous time in our lives to be back in the presence of the Lord. Building a place inside of you that the Lord may dwell in is a privilege and a blessing that we should celebrate! It marks our release from the captivity of sin and a new beginning for God to start working within us for good. Let us all give a GREAT shout to the Lord and praise him for allowing us to rebuild his house in us!
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
I want to thank you for my readers. I prayer that this post has touched them in a way they needed. That it may have opened their eyes and turned their hearts toward you. Father, I pray that they may be freed from the shackles of sin holding them captive. Be with them while they relay the foundation in their hearts, so that you may dwell within them. Bless them with the tools they need for construction, and work through them so they may be joyous in their labor. May they seek you, Lord, wholeheartedly, and reach out when they're in need. If there is anything in my power that I can do to help them, please allow me to do so.
I pray this in your name,
Amen!
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