"I will ... restore its ruins, and built it as it used to be." Amos 9:11
Constantine's Arch is a tourist attraction in Rome. Unlike many such monuments, it was not built of new material. Constantine, the first Christian emperor, used the ruins of ancient Rome to build his triumphal arch. It stands as a symbol of a Christian empire rising from pagan rubble.
Joseph's life was in ruins. His own brothers had turned on him, and he faced a bleak future as a slave in Egypt. But when Joseph could no longer control his life, God stepped in. And Joseph became a great man who saved many people, including his own family.
God delights in taking the ruins of our lives and rebuilding them into His temple. It's when, by God's grace, we see our utter helplessness that we let Him take over. And as we give our lives to Him, He takes those broken stones and one by one, step by step, builds a beautiful cathedral, a life dedicated to His worship and praise.
Today I take the rubble of my life -- the willfully destroyed relationship, the pride that won't let me admit I made a mistake, the jealousy that has replaced love with hate -- and bring it to Christ for forgiveness and rebuilding. He delights in making a temple out of me!
PRAYER: Direct Your steps, O Lord, to the ruins I make of my life, and work Your salvation in the midst of them; in Jesus' name. Amen.
(Devotions from "The Abundant Life" copyright 1998, CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. Permission is granted for one-time e-mailing of this link to a friend. For information on other devotional material, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit CPH at www.cph.org.)
Today's Bible Readings: 2 Kings 4-6 James 2
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