“YOU ARE LIVING STONES THAT GOD IS BUILDING INTO HIS SPIRITUAL TEMPLE” – 1 PETER 2:5

Last week we removed our fireplace. When I say “we” I mean me and four of my spiritual brothers. I knew it was going to be a major project and a lot of work; but as we often learn in life, knowing something in your head is nothing compared to experiencing something with your hands. It was hard work, and the bricks just kept coming. We were hauling buckets of broken mortar out my front door to pour into a dumpster, and we wheeled piles of bricks out the back door to save for a future landscaping project.

I heard Ben and Johnny, both professional contractors, say repeatedly, “I never expected so many bricks.” They had both removed fireplaces before, but usually when fireplaces are constructed they include spaces between the bricks. We were “blessed” with an unconventional fireplace of solid, packed brick, top to bottom. Now we have piles of brick spreading all along one side of our house.

Yesterday morning as I was praying, I was was reminded of that pile of bricks. And these words came to me:

“Do you see those bricks? Each brick represents a person that I’m bringing. There are more than you thought there would be. I am building this house. I am carefully joining these human bricks together, making them into a temple of my Spirit.”

This was an Abraham moment for me. God told Abraham to look at the stars, for the his descendants would outnumber the stars of the sky. I have no idea how many bricks are in my backyard, but I do know it’s a lot more than I had imagined. It’s time for us as a spiritual family to think bigger, dream bigger, believe bigger. Our goal is to participate in building the house of God’s dreams — not of brick and mortar but of people in spirit-filled intimacy. Only God knows what that looks like, so we have one more motivating reason to seek Him.

May God fill you completely with joy and peace!
Matt

Matt Neese
Wellspring.Live