Many years ago I owned a small cabinet shop. I loved the work, but after some years I found myself dissatisfied about one particular thing. Just as soon as we would get the kitchen or furniture or whatever TOTALLY COMPLETED, with the finishing touches on everything, we would load up our tools, sweep up, drive away, and probably never see it again! ...
I soon buried myself in Christian publishing. Every month, for 16 years, we published a children's magazine called Nature Friend Magazine and today I can still pick up one of those magazines and see the fruits of our labors from when we worked with talented writers, artists, and photographers. In fact, since some friends of ours are still publishing it, a shiny new issue comes to our mailbox every month, and it's so much more beautiful than it ever was when we were doing the work!
But, here's where I'm heading: My time, like yours, is slipping away. Every 24 hours, a particular day of our life disappears, and we see it no more. So, the questions come: What are we living for? What are we building, why, and with what materials?
In I Corinthians 3 we read "If any man builds upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire. And the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide... he shall receive a reward."
There it is! This earth and everything in it will be tested by fire. All 'my' cabinets and children's magazines will disappear. But the things we have done for our Lord will give us a sure reward!
With courage, then, let us Build! With zeal, with faith, with humility, with pure motives and strong hearts, may we BUILD. With the very best of materials— Heaven-wrought— may we BUILD! Patiently, faithfully, longingly, lovingly, with a song on our lips, let us keep on Building!
And when all our works have been tested by fiery Judgments, may we see them still standing: as solid as stone, as shining as gold. May we present them to God once more, and hear His "Well done, my good and faithful servant!"
As a son of God, it is my ever-so-precious privilege to be a Do-er, a Worker, a Builder... until I see Him face to face!
But, here's where I'm heading: My time, like yours, is slipping away. Every 24 hours, a particular day of our life disappears, and we see it no more. So, the questions come: What are we living for? What are we building, why, and with what materials?
In I Corinthians 3 we read "If any man builds upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire. And the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide... he shall receive a reward."
There it is! This earth and everything in it will be tested by fire. All 'my' cabinets and children's magazines will disappear. But the things we have done for our Lord will give us a sure reward!
With courage, then, let us Build! With zeal, with faith, with humility, with pure motives and strong hearts, may we BUILD. With the very best of materials— Heaven-wrought— may we BUILD! Patiently, faithfully, longingly, lovingly, with a song on our lips, let us keep on Building!
And when all our works have been tested by fiery Judgments, may we see them still standing: as solid as stone, as shining as gold. May we present them to God once more, and hear His "Well done, my good and faithful servant!"
As a son of God, it is my ever-so-precious privilege to be a Do-er, a Worker, a Builder... until I see Him face to face!
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