With this devotion we begin a series. I want to take a look at how God builds in our lives. A few years ago we built a new sanctuary onto our church building. During this time I was shown a parallel between how you build a house and how God builds up one of His own. Over the next few months I want to share with you those parallels.

            First up is the first step in building. It takes a plan. Plans are important. Without the right

Plans, nothing will look just the way you want it to look. Anything worth doing takes planning and we are no different. God started with a plan for we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 134:14) God's plans were very detailed. It included the number of hairs on our head (Luke 12:7) and the number of tears we would have as well. (Psalm 56:8) God has a plan for our lives and it is very detailed. He even tells us the point to his plans. For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). God started our lives before our first breath (Jeremiah1:5a) working out His plan. His blueprint, if you will, for the lives of His people. He continues to build on that blueprint today.

            So what should our response to this be? One of gratitude and joy. For the master builder is building us up. We should also be encouraging others to let God build them up in the manor that He sees fit. We should be spurring each other on to the glory of God the father (Hebrews 10: 24, 25). Trusting in the blueprint that God has a purpose for each moment of our lives. Now I know that this is difficult in trouble times and during suffering moments. Still we need to remember that he is the master builder and it is in his plans that these things happen. When these things happen, He is the master builder and will use them according to His purpose. This is not to say that God wants us to suffer. By no means. God allows us to suffer in order to bring about the greater good. (Romans 8:28). Still as we go through life, we take great comfort in the fact that it all is happening according to the great and wonderful blueprint of our Father's plan.