Thursday, June 26, 2014

By: Brandon Bilbo

Assembly Required

Psalm 139:14 I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 

If you have ever bought a piece of boxed furniture like a cabinet or if you have children, you well know that "SOME assembly required" often means "ALL assembly required."

Sometimes, assembly could take days or weeks (depending on whether you read the instructions or not). Then, when you think you're done, often there is a completed project with one screw left over...probably the most important piece!

Thankfully, everything you need is IN THE BOX.

Today's verse reminds us that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made." Wow! God didn't just throw us together saying, "This will do..." No way! Instead, we are His craftsmanship.

Philippians 4:16 says that you can be confident in knowing that "He who BEGAN a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

Notice this scripture said "BEGAN a good work." Guess what folks... "Some assembly is required" (thankfully not all). God is ready and available to assist those in need.

However, God - the Master Inventor - doesn't always just put the finished product on our doorstep. Most things in life - relationships, success, good health, etc. - require some effort. The good news is that we have been given a very thorough instruction manual - the Bible.

When assembling something, many people choose to disregard the instructions. This often extends the process or ends in pure frustration. Likewise, many believers try to live life disregarding God's Instruction Manual for their lives. The Bible is able to guide us in everything we do - our marriages, parenting, work ethic, business transactions and more!

Maybe today you feel like you can't figure out what went wrong in a relationship or you don't understand how a certain piece fits together in your life or you can't overcome an addiction... I challenge you today to read His Instructions daily. He has given you EVERYTHING you need.

Dear Lord, Thank You that You have not put me on this earth to walk blindly. You have given me Your steadfast Word to live and breathe by.

I also thank You, my Jesus, for dying for me. I believe that You are Lord and that God raised You from the grave so that I can have eternal life.

Reflection: Have I tried to assemble my life without using God's Instruction manual?