BIBLE READING: PSALM 127:1–5 (KJV)
1 Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
EXHORTATION
KEY VERSE:
“Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it.”
— Psalm 127:1 (KJV)
Welcome to Mercy Speaking Devotional on this blessed Saturday, September 26th. Today, we are considering When God Is Building You.
On July 11, 1924, at the Olympic Games in Paris, Scottish athlete Eric Liddell won the 400 metres gold medal. His journey to that moment had already involved a difficult decision. He had refused to run the 100 metres because the heats were scheduled for a Sunday, a day he had deliberately set apart for worship. Instead, he prepared for another event and eventually won the 400 metres in world-record time.
But Liddell’s story was bigger than an Olympic medal. His convictions, discipline and faith had been shaped long before the public saw the result.
This is an important picture of how God works in our lives.
Before God builds something through you, He often builds something in you.
We naturally want God to build our success, ministry, career, family, reputation and future. We pray for open doors and greater opportunities. We ask God to enlarge our influence and bless the work of our hands.
But sometimes God’s first work is deeper.
He begins with our character.
He works on our attitudes.
He develops our patience.
He corrects our motives.
He teaches us obedience.
He strengthens our faith.
He deals with our pride.
He teaches us how to forgive.
He makes us dependable in small things.
And sometimes, this process does not feel like building at all. It can feel like breaking.
A builder may remove old structures before putting something stronger in their place. A craftsman may cut, shape and smooth a piece of material before it becomes useful. In the same way, God may allow certain experiences to expose things in us that cannot remain if He is preparing us for what lies ahead.
Joseph experienced this.
He received a dream, but the fulfilment did not come immediately. There was a pit. There was slavery. There was false accusation. There was prison. Yet through those painful stages, God was preparing Joseph for responsibility.
The palace came later.
The preparation came first.
David was anointed king, but he did not immediately sit on the throne. There were years of difficulty, waiting, danger and uncertainty. God was not wasting those years. He was developing the shepherd who would eventually lead a nation.
Sometimes you are asking, “Lord, when will You take me to the next level?”
And God may be answering, “I am preparing you for it.”
Do not despise the preparation.
The season in which nobody seems to notice you may be building humility. The difficult relationship may be teaching you patience. The closed door may be teaching you dependence upon God. The responsibility that seems small may be teaching you faithfulness. The season of waiting may be teaching you trust.
God does not waste surrendered seasons.
This does not mean that every painful experience is directly caused by God. Scripture teaches that we live in a fallen world where suffering exists. But it also reveals that God can work through circumstances to accomplish His purposes in those who trust Him.
Romans 8:28 reminds us that God works all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
Therefore, do not measure God’s work in your life only by what is happening externally.
You may not have the position you want, but God may be developing your character.
You may not have the opportunity you expected, but God may be strengthening your preparation.
You may feel hidden, but God may be deepening your roots.
You may think you are behind, but God may be teaching you something that will become essential for your future.
A building is only as strong as its foundation.
If God is building you, He will care about your foundation.
He wants you rooted in His Word, established in prayer, grounded in truth and dependent upon Christ. He wants your public life to be supported by a private life with Him.
That is why today’s message follows yesterday’s reminder about daily devotion. God builds us through consistent fellowship with Him.
Do not rush what God is taking time to build.
There are things that must become established in you before they can safely become established around you.
Greater influence without greater character can become dangerous. Greater resources without greater wisdom can become destructive. Greater responsibility without greater spiritual maturity can become overwhelming.
So if God is working on you today, cooperate with Him.
When He corrects you, listen.
When He teaches you, learn.
When He asks you to wait, trust Him.
When He exposes something that needs to change, surrender it.
When He gives you a small assignment, do it faithfully.
When He brings you through difficulty, ask not only, “How can I get out of this?” but also, “Lord, what are You developing in me through this?”
And remember this: God is not merely building a better version of you. Through Christ, He is making you increasingly reflect the character of His Son.
Philippians 1:6 assures us that He who has begun a good work in us will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
You may not see the finished work yet.
The foundation may still be going down.
Some walls may still be rising.
Some areas may still need repair.
But if you have surrendered yourself to God, do not despise the process.
God is still building you.
And when He finishes what He has purposed, you will understand why some things took time.
Let Him build your faith.
Let Him build your character.
Let Him build your patience.
Let Him build your wisdom.
Let Him build your obedience.
Let Him build your life upon Christ.
Because when the Lord builds the house, the labour is not in vain.
You may be under construction, but you are not abandoned. The Master Builder is still working.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
What area of your life might God be building or strengthening right now, and are you willing to trust Him with the process?
PRAYER POINTS
1. Father, I thank You for Your faithfulness and for the good work You have begun in my life. Thank You because You have not abandoned me.
2. Father, have mercy upon me and forgive me for every time I have resisted Your correction, ignored Your instruction or tried to build my life without You.
3. Lord, build a strong foundation of faith, prayer, obedience and Your Word in my life.
4. Father, develop my character and remove every attitude, habit and motive that does not reflect Christ.
5. Lord, give me patience to trust Your process. Help me not to run ahead of You because I am frustrated with waiting.
6. Father, prepare me for every responsibility, opportunity and assignment You have planned for my life. Let me become ready for what You are preparing me to carry.
7. Father, I thank You because You are still working in me. Complete the good work You have begun and make my life a vessel that brings glory to Your name, in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.
