And it judges the thoughts and feelings in our hearts.
Hebrews 4:12 NCV
I’m sure like me you have noticed cracks in your walls. Sometimes you just get the Polyfilla out and fill it in, but sometimes it is not enough and the deep problem still exists.
My favourite place as you know is Pisa, simply because of that great monument. No one really knows how the tower came to be leaning but what we do now (https://leaningtowerpisa.com/facts/how-pisa-leaning-tower-was-stabilized) by the end of the 80s, the Tower was slowly heading toward its catastrophic collapse.
The Monument had to be closed to the public while the work on the tower was done. This work took from 1990 – 2001.
My wife and I visited the site shortly after its reopening and we would not have seen any difference if we had not been told about work that had taken place.
The reason we would not have know is simple because on the surface everything looked as normal. Underneath however was the problem, here was where the work was done in order to ensure that the tower did not collapse. The solution to this problem was then to reinforce the soil under the foundation and to make room for the Tower to compress some of the soil and straighten back up towards the North (the Tower leans to South).
According to the above website, the project total cost was over 30 million EUR and it lasted 10 years!
It is an illustration of an ageless principle that works in our lives too. It is down below the waterline that determines whether our lives stand the test of time and challenge. Your work is called worship, which consists of devotion and spiritual discipline. It is done in quiet, where no one but God sees.
Our work can take much longer than 10 years. In fact, let me give a quote “There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears”. You will find that quote in Philippians 1:6 The Message.
That appears to be telling me our underpinning lasts a life time and started when we made the decision to be followers of Jesus. What we build our foundations on are really important. Jesus knows that and it is why He is telling us He can work it out if we let Him. He wants to do:-
- Good work. A professional job.
- Continue to do it. No stopping here at hurdles or obstacles, just a faithful commitment to finish the project. Yes, it will take longer than the tower, but as the tower when finished it will be beneficial and lasting. Does that not cheer you u? So If you need underpinning take heart we have a builder with the tools.
Our response is to recognise that building our life on Jesus is done when you present to God your:- Private life (Inwardly) Public life (Outwardly) Personal life (Upwardly) and let Him get on with it.
Private life is the inward life when no one is looking. Jesus knew how important it is to have this one stable. In fact, it is one of the last public invitations Jesus gave. He said this: – On the final and climactic day of the Feast, Jesus took his stand. He cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way, just as the Scripture says.” (He said this in regard to the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were about to receive. The Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified.) John 7:38-39 The Message
How many people’s inward lives are in turmoil? Look good on the outside, but inside is another story. It is not easy to tell, but Jesus, knows again listen to what He says:-
God’s word is alive and working and is sharper than a double-edged sword. It cuts all the way into us, where the soul and the spirit are joined, to the centre of our joints and bones. And it judges the thoughts and feelings in our hearts. Hebrews 4:12 NCV
The question is Who are you really beneath the waterline? Be honest before God right now.
Public life (Outwardly)
The outward life is what people see when we are with them. This is where we can perform to our hearts desire. Remember though we can fool people we cannot fool God.
Personal life (Upwardly)
If this one can be achieved the other two will follow. Remember this is the life which is a direct relationship with God. As I have been speaking on in our Sunday worship the key to this Personal Life is a daily habit of reading, praying, obedience and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you.
The question is Who are you really beneath the waterline?
Be honest before God right now.