But the interesting thing about it was that there was a sign stating that a grocery store was going to be coming to that space. However, the previous occupant of the building was a grocery/department store. It seemed somewhat of a waste to me as I thought: they could have just re-purposed the old building and modified/remodeled it to suit their purposes.
Then on Sunday I was sending an email that took me straight back to that building (or should I say debris field) that I had seen the day before. I was writing to a couple of friends commenting on how God will allow situations that confound us at times and expressed, 'You cannot fill a cup that is full. Therefore, I believe there are times when He will empty you of everything to make room for the new thing He desires to do in and through you.'
Likewise -
There are times when something in our lives will need to be torn down in order to build the new thing. These are instances where a redesign is utterly insufficient, where no amount of reconstruction will achieve the desired end result. Yes, sometimes things will need to be leveled just like they did with that building.
Currently there are so many have lost so much - houses, cars, jobs, reputation and even relationships.
Yet I want to encourage you today. While some of things that have been torn down and removed may seem like a waste to us - the plans of the LORD are perfect. His ways truly are not our ways. And His wisdom is far above ours.
It is difficult to conceive that what we had or who we were could not be somehow repurposed. And there are times when He does that. But, there are also times when the old thing must be completely eliminated in order to accomplish the current move of God.
'No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.' Mark 2:22
Take heart friends -
In this stage of 'destroy and rebuild', things appear to look worse before they get better. Yet, in time, with patience, the perfect plan of God will manifest and will reveal something beyond what you are able to imagine - something that will bring Him glory and honor.
The new owners of that property paid a hefty price for that building - just to turn around and tear it down - so they can ultimately build what they desire. Likewise, Jesus paid a tremendous price for us: empty shells desiring usefulness, sitting without purpose or longing for fresh purpose ... for years in some instances. By His blood He took possession of what He desired and set about the process of 'destroy ... rebuild'.
And as we submit to this work in our lives, His work, we become useful instruments/agents for effecting the change that must take place in our world:
'See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.' Jeremiah 1:10
The Message Version Reads
"I’ve given you a job to do
among nations and governments—a red-letter day!
Your job is to pull up and tear down,
take apart and demolish,
And then start over,
building and planting.”
God is raising up an army in these days -
Lives emptied of everything to be filled with what is pleasing in His sight
Individuals taken down to bare bones, to be rejuvenated by the power of His Holy Spirit
Selfish agendas destroyed to make room for building & exalting His kingdom purposes
'Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.' Ephsians 3:20-21
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