A Time To Build

Day three hundred eleven

I had a really good night at work last night.  Although business was slow (which is becoming a problem), I had the opportunity to really spend some time with the customers that did come in.  Each of them was a really cool person with some great stories.  I love nights like that because I leave feeling like I've been spiritually fed.  How lucky am I!  How many people can say that about where they work?  I realize that my job has become a great blessing in my life and I felt like I needed to let Father know how much I appreciate it.  So my prayer was filled with gratitude for putting me where I need to be and showering me with blessings!  I love it when God works in our lives!

2 Chronicles 14:7

"Therefore he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us; because we have sought the Lord our God, we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered."

This verse finds Judah under the rule of King Asa who is described as one who "did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God:" (v 1) The people were once again seeking God so He gave them a "rest" from war.  Asa took advantage of his years of “rest” to build the nation.  There are some principles here that stood out to me:

Build When It's Easy

Asa’s time of “rest” came because the Lord gave it.  There was a break from the wars.  We too go through seasons when we’re under attack and when we’re at rest.  The problem is we tend to use this time to take it easy instead of using the time to build. 

It is so much harder to build during the difficult times; it seems that for every step you take forward you end up going two steps backwards.  Yet when we could accomplish the most, when the building would be the easiest, we chose to sit back and relax.  Doesn't that seem like doing things the hard way?  

What is going on in your life right now? Are you in a war zone or a rest period?  If you are in a war zone, don't lose hope, keep fighting through it, and know that a time of rest is on its way.  If you are in a rest period then now is the time to build!

Building Brings Prosperity

Asa’s prosperity, the nation’s “abundant life” came as they “built” the fenced cities.  So what is it about building that brings prosperity? 

As Christians, our “prosperity” doesn’t come from building physical walls, towers, gates, and bars.  There are spiritual things that we need to build up in our lives.  There are spiritual disciplines that we can develop that will strengthen those spiritual “walls, towers, gates, and bars.”  Here are just a few spiritual traits we can find hidden in Asa's building:

Walls – This is what keeps the enemy out.

I see the “walls” as being similar to our resolve as to what we will allow into our lives.  Will we allow certain things to penetrate our lives?  Or are we resolved to say “no” to temptation.

Towers – This is what helps us see the enemy coming

A tower is a place where you get perspective.  For a tower to work, you need to get a little bit above everything else to get a view of what’s going on around you.  Every once in a while we need to be able to step away from our lives and look at things from a different perspective.  I think that we need time to be quiet, time to think, time to pray.

Gates – These let us out and others in.

As Christians, we have to be careful not to become “ingrown”.  We need to get outside of ourselves every once in a while and reach out to others. Fellowship. We need to have a concern for lost people, and the fact is, most of the lost people in the world are outside our little groups.

Bars – This is what keeps the gates closed when we need them closed.

My thoughts go to how we decide what kinds of things will come “into” our city.  What will we use as a standard or filter to decide what we will allow into our lives and what we will choose to keep out?  In one word: discernment.

Can you see how each of these characteristics could bring spiritual prosperity? 

There is a quote by Jon Rohn that talks about what building does for us.  It reads:  "Whatever good things we build end up building us."  I don't know about you, but I know my walls, towers, gates, and bars need constant attention to be effective.  Their integrity can be compromised easily, so I am in constant need of fortifying and repair. 

As I look at what is going on in my life I don’t feel like I am in a terrible war zone or completely in a rest period.  I think I am somewhere in between with moments of attack and moments of rest.  The one thing I know for sure is now is definitely the time to build!