Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.”
NL Daily Devotion for Monday, January 17, 2022
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
I recently moved into a new place and I love it. Aside from the utilities-inclusive rent, heated parking spot, and free maintenance on everything in my home (those folks are my heroes!) it’s the first time that I have ever had what is truly my own space. From the outset, I wanted to make sure it was a place of peace and comfort, and filled with expressions of my love for my family and the world. I commissioned my (extremely talented) niece to paint a canvas for the front entryway welcoming all people, no matter what. I crafted picture frames using stones and beach glass found at my family’s cabin in Michigan. I crafted other picture frames using tree bark and moss to evoke the forest, which I love. I have a home which is simple, free of clutter, and truly a place I want to be.
But my efforts to create a home are all secondary to those of God, who is most responsible for “building the house.” It was God who walked with me through the challenges of my divorce. God who provided work with which to support myself. God who led me to the physical space I now call home. In these and innumerable other ways, God has built and continues to build my “house.”
How do I see my life as having been built by God?