April 12: Building Blocks for a Life of Blessing

In a Nutshell

This past Sunday, Pastor Reuben outlined the essential building blocks for a godly life: starting with faith working through love, progressing through humility which accesses grace, and embracing the fear of the Lord which is the beginning of the wisdom needed to build a house designed to host God’s presence and rest.

Anchor Verse

“Through wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; By knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches.” – Proverbs 24:3-4 (NKJV)

Unpacking the Word

This week, we’ve journeyed through the foundational principles Pastor Reuben shared for building a life that honors God. It’s like constructing a magnificent house, not with literal bricks, but with spiritual character and choices, all under the guidance of the Master Builder.

We began with the non-negotiable foundation: Faith that connects us to God and receives His grace, intrinsically linked with Love, the practical outworking of that faith in our relationships. Faith without love is ineffective, and love without faith lacks its divine source. This pair forms the concrete slab upon which everything else rests.

Next came Humility, the essential posture required to even receive God’s grace. Recognizing our dependence on God, seeing ourselves rightly through His eyes, and submitting to Him and others – this humility opens the channels for His favor to flow. It counteracts the pride that God resists.

Closely tied to humility is the Fear of the Lord. Not terror, but a deep reverence and awe for God that births obedience and a hatred for evil. This reverence is the “beginning of wisdom,” the starting point for accessing God’s divine perspective and guidance.

And that leads us to Wisdom itself – the principal tool for construction. This isn’t mere intellect, but the mind of Christ, expressed through heavenly characteristics like purity, peace, gentleness, and mercy. This wisdom, gained through asking God and walking in obedience (especially through trials), enables us to build discerningly, avoiding costly errors and resisting the “demonic wisdom” of envy and strife.

Finally, we saw the Purpose of this meticulously built house: to host God’s Presence and to be a place of His Rest. Like Jacob’s Bethel, our lives are meant to be gateways to heaven, places where God dwells, His peace reigns supreme regardless of circumstance, and His glory is manifest. This house, built according to God’s blueprint, withstands the enemy’s attacks and displays God’s manifold wisdom to the world.

These blocks aren’t sequential steps we master and move on from; they are interconnected principles we continually cultivate. Faith fuels love, humility opens us to grace, the fear of God grounds us in wisdom, and wisdom builds a dwelling place for His presence and rest, resulting in the promised “riches, honor, and long life.” Let’s commit to cooperating with the Holy Spirit as He builds these qualities into us day by day.

Pause and Reflect

1. Looking back at the week, which building block (Faith/Love, Humility, Fear of the Lord, Wisdom, Presence/Rest) resonated most with you or felt most needed in your life right now? Why?
2. How do you see these different spiritual qualities working together in your own walk with God? Where do you see connections or perhaps areas needing better integration?
3. Considering your life as a “house” God is building, what is one area you want to intentionally partner with Him to strengthen this coming week?

Faith in Action

1. Review the “Faith in Action” steps from the past five days. Choose one that you didn’t fully engage with and commit to doing it today or tomorrow.
2. Share with a trusted friend or family member one insight you gained this week about building your spiritual life and ask them to pray for you in that area.
3. Take a few minutes to thank God for being the Master Builder of your life. Acknowledge His work and reaffirm your desire to cooperate with His plans.

A Moment With God Pray for integration. Ask the Holy Spirit to weave faith, love, humility, the fear of the Lord, and wisdom together seamlessly in your life, building you into a strong and beautiful dwelling place for His presence and rest.

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