FINAL INSPECTION

Okay, guys and gals... Talk about a "wake up call." This morning during my devotional time this is one of the passage God used to sort of "BODY SLAM" me...

1 Corinthians 3:11-17 (NIrV), No one can lay any other foundation than the one that has already been laid. That foundation is Jesus Christ.
12 A person may build on it using gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay or straw. 13 But each person's work will be shown for what it is. On judgment day it will be brought to light. It will be put through fire. The fire will test how good everyone's work is. 14 If the building doesn't burn up, God will give the builder a reward for his work. 15 If the building burns up, the builder will lose everything. The builder will be saved, but only like one escaping through the flames.
16 Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple? God's Spirit lives in you. 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. God's temple is holy. And you are that temple.

My yearly trek through the Bible had me in 1 Corinthians 3, 1 Kings 15-16 and Joel 3 this morning. Not exactly, "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life" material... This is "in your face", "judgement time is coming" type material.

And guess what? I need it. So do you. So do WE.

Here are a few of the thoughts I had after I read these passages.


Heavenly Father:

You are God. I am not.

I know this isn't rocket science. I know it's no new discovery. But it is reality. A reality that I often somehow tend to forget, or at the very least, ignore...

You are God. You are Sovereign. Omnipotent. Almighty. Majestic. Holy. Loving. Merciful. Gracious. Forgiving.

You are God. Your purposes stand. Your plans prevail. Your verdict counts. Your justice is perfect.

Help me to live each day in light of the fact that one day I will have to give an account of my entire life to the one true, holy, just God.

My entire life will be inspected. Both the public aspects of my life and the private aspects of my life. My thoughts, motives, attitudes, opinions, actions, behaviors, conversations, all of it... All of it, played out in high definition before the searchlight of your penetrating holiness...

Unfortunately, I forget this... Or, maybe I just ignore it and choose to not think about it... I slip back into attitudes and actions as if the only one who counts is "ME."

Forgive me. Forgive me. Forgive me.

Help me to build with the kind of material that can pass "fire inspection." Help me to forego cheaper materials like wood, hay or straw and use the stuff that counts: gold, silver, jewels...

Empower me to live the kind of life that will bring the only verdict that a sold out Christ-follower truly seeks: "Well done, good and faithful servant... Well done.."

As I read the histories of so many of the leaders in Israel's history, I'm struck by their - and MY propensity - to fall back into behavior patterns, thought patterns and outright SIN that ultimately can bring nothing but YOUR JUDGEMENT. A life that might have "appeared" to be really cool in public, but was burnt to smithereens in your searing presence...

Oh, God. Please help me to be a man like David - real, broken, imperfect - but still with a heart after you... A heart that longs for your purpose, plan, will and ways...

I am desperate for a God intoxicated, Jesus centered, Spirit empowered life. I am desperate for the kind of life that can holdup during FINAL INSPECTION...

Help me...


How about you? Have you read this passage lately? Have you thought about it's implications? Have you thought about what it might be like to stand before the one who made you and watch as your life work is totally consumed by the fire of His presence?

It's not enjoyable. It's not fun. These are not the kinds of thoughts we like to entertain... But they are vitally important to those who ultimately want to hear the Father say, "Well done..."