There Will Be Those Who Oppose the Building – But Not Forever

Do you believe in coincidence?

No, I don’t either.

I spent this week-end gloriously, unusually alone with time to read, to pray, and to watch a mini-series.

First, I started my new “read through the Bible in a year” Bible. The readings for this week-end were taken from Nehemiah and describe the efforts of the Jews to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem against great opposition. Throughout the re-building, they were forced to defend themselves on all fronts. Build and defend.

I spent a lot of time considering these passages and talking with God, praying up spiritual walls to defend those things I have “labored to build” in His name.

So then, I discovered a mini-series on Netflix based on one of my favorite books – about the building of a fictional cathedral in Medieval England. (Warning: Graphic. Not a series for sensitive hearts or squeamish stomachs.) For several hours I watched as simple people devoted to God worked to build a great cathedral and to live their lives against overwhelming opposition. Build and defend. Build and defend.

There are no coincidences. When we invite God into our lives, He orchestrates every avenue at His disposal to teach, to inspire and to reveal Himself to us.

I have been tempted to wonder lately why there is continual opposition against the work of God in and through my life and the lives of others I know who follow Him. Sometimes, I weary of the battle. The building is taxing enough but wielding a hammer in one hand and a sword in the other is downright exhausting.

But, there it is.

The kingdom of God is being built by a Master Builder but the work will be opposed until the day of His return.

We must hold onto every resource He provides to endure – His Spirit, His word, brothers and sisters, the occasional miracle, the bread of daily communion with Him and the hope of Jesus Christ.

Impulsive, jump out of the boat, Peter says this: “As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” I Peter 2:4-6

Paul saw the vision of God’s creative hand at work, too, when he wrote “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19-22

We must hold on to the vision but it takes all of us to do so. When one is weary, another must hold him up and remind him gently until he is restored. If one comes under attack, another must come to her defense until she is safe once more. Build and defend. Build and defend.

There will be those who oppose the building of the kingdom of God – but not forever. One day, God will make His dwelling with us. He will wipe away the tears from our eyes and battle, separation and death will be no more.

As you worship Him today, close your eyes and see the amazing cathedral He is building, a cathedral of living stones from every tribe and every nation. As you worship, see their faces worship with you from those who hide in Chinese house churches to those who gather in the heat of the African sun to those who meet in coffeehouses in urban settings to those who meet in tiny stone churches in Ireland to those who sit alone in their rooms or their cells or their barracks or their hospital beds and call on the name of the Lord.

See the beautiful house the Lord is building in which to dwell. He will fill it with light and it will stand, unopposed, for all eternity.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Galatians 6:8-10

So grab your hammers and your swords, loved ones. Build and defend. Build and defend. Yield to the work of the Master Builder! We are going to be beautiful.