God’s way is perfect.
All the Lord’s promises prove true.
He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
For who is God except the Lord?
Who but our God is a solid rock?
God arms me with strength,
and he makes my way perfect. (Psalm 18:30-32 NLT)
I was preparing for a presentation to a group on the topic of “Housekeeping Hacks: Creating an Environment for Your Family to Thrive.” It started as a conversation about keeping your house neat, clean, and orderly, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that God’s best for each household – each family – is more than whether the dishes are always done, the toys picked up, and the floors swept. Building a “house” in its best form is about a thriving marriage, thriving children, and an environment in which the family can then help others around them to thrive. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary says that to thrive is, “1. to grow vigorously : flourish. 2. : to gain in wealth or possessions : prosper. 3. : to progress toward or realize a goal despite or because of circumstances.” All these words have an implicit understanding of motion – growing, flourishing, gaining wealth, progressing toward a goal. I believe that that motion must come from God and must be focused on Kingdom purposes and principles. Some thoughts from God’s Word:
“Every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.” (Hebrews 3:4 AMP)
“Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.“ (Psalm 127:1 AMP)
“So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, will be like a wise man [a far-sighted, practical, and sensible man] who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods and torrents came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24-25 AMP)
“The wise woman builds her house [on a foundation of godly precepts, and her household thrives], but the foolish one [who lacks spiritual insight] tears it down with her own hands [by ignoring godly principles]. Through [skillful and godly] wisdom a house [a life, a home, a family] is built, and by understanding it is established [on a sound and good foundation], and by knowledge its rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.” (Proverbs 14:1 & 24:3-4 AMP)
When we seek God for the “house” he wants us to build – our marriages, children, and ministries – and then allow him to work with us to build it, our “house” will hold in the storms of life.
What “house” are you building? Who is the builder? How is it being built?
God,
You are our strength, our rock, our fortress, our savior, the One in whom we find protection and safety. You are our shield and the firm foundation for our lives. You are the One who helps us, our marriages, our children, and our ministries to thrive, flourish, and prosper. Thank you for your Word which shows us your good plans for our lives and helps us to know how to live fully. Forgive us when we do not first seek you for our decisions, words, and actions. In whatever state our marriage, parenting, or ministries may be, help us to grow and progress toward your holiness and perfect plans. Out of your glorious riches strengthen us with Holy Spirit’s power in our innermost beings so that Christ may dwell and fully inhabit our hearts through faith. Fill us with the measure of all your fullness so we overflow with grace, hope, peace, kindness, and love for all those around us. Give us your holy momentum so that we thrive, prosper, and flourish because of you and your holy Kingdom principles, we ask in Jesus’s name, AMEN.
I love you, Lord;
you are my strength.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
and my place of safety.
I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and he saved me from my enemies. (Psalm 18:1-3 NLT)
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16-19 NIV)