Always Emily

I wrote a devotional for Delight Ministries, which was published in their collection Daily Delight: a 365 Day Devotional

“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.” Psalm 127:1

Unless the Lord is in it, it’s all in vain. Anything we try to build on our own will be useless, without meaning, and without eternal impact. This can be hard to hear because we often have the urge to take absolute control over our lives. We have a natural desire for security, so we try to produce some on our own. We dream up blueprints for our lives and get to work constructing what we think it ought to look like. We put in all this work into building something, all this time and energy, just to find that the walls are flimsy and the foundation is crumbling. Our fortress we thought would be so secure comes tumbling down and we are left as vulnerable as ever.

Yet when this happens, when God turns us in a different direction; it’s with love, not malice. The Creator knows us so intimately—every hair on your head, every freckle and dimple, every thought and desire. Romans 8:28 tells us, “God works for the good of those who love him.” He does not allow our plans to be foiled for nothing, but because He has something better for us.

If you have experienced a redirection from God, you know all the emotions that may come with it. Confusion, anger, sadness. But know that down the road, further than we have the ability to see, there is hope, love, and mercy. 

Those are the things that God is pointing us towards.

Further Study: Matthew 6:25-34; Romans 8:28-31
Reflection Question: Reflect on what areas of your life you are trying to build up without God’s guidance. What makes you feel like you can’t give this particular thing to Him? Pray through this with Him and know that He is for you.