The Builder – October 19, 2021

For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.
Hebrews 3:4

The Builder

Near Iceland lies a cluster of islands called the Faroe Islands. In these islands stands one of the oldest continuously occupied houses in the world. It’s called “The Viking Farmhouse.” It’s a cozy, wood-framed home. The family currently occupying the house has had it for some time—17 generations to be exact. The Viking Farmhouse is about one thousand years old.

There are no records that survive for who designed it, gathered the materials, or built the house. Its very existence, however, declares that someone did.

In the Bible, God engages us in various ways when it comes to his existence. In the New Testament book of Hebrews, he invites us to stand in front of a house—any house—and give that house a good look. As we stand before that house, we may not see the architect or contractor; we may not see the carpenters, plumbers, and electricians who were once there. However, the very existence of the house gives testimony to their work.

With that, God invites us to take in something a bit bigger. He invites us to look at the creation around us and give it a good look. Look at the heavens. Look at the stars. Look at the precise orbit of our planet around the sun. Look at the breathtaking orchestration of our ecosystem. Look at the overwhelming sophistication of just one single cell in our human bodies. God invites us to look at all of this, for it all points to him. He is the builder.

But he is far more than just the builder. When humanity, the crown of his creation, chose to sever its relationship with God, God did what he had to do to bring us home. The builder became one of us. He walked among us in the person of Jesus Christ. As our substitute, Jesus lived the life we failed to live. He suffered and died for our every wrong, all to set things right.

That’s the love the builder has for you.

Prayer:
Lord, thank you for creating me. And thank you for saving me. I am doubly yours. Amen.