Somebody just smashed in one of the walls in the front of our house!!!! They broke a window and even ripped off parts of the roof! So, naturally, I stepped in and took action.
Before I tell you what I did, let me welcome you to “Mornings with Bishop Robert” — thanks for joining me on the top spot on the internet for beverages with a Bishop. My goal is to introduce people to the Jesus they never knew, and help them get to know Him and His word personally – and better ! If our time together today speaks to your heart, then let me invite you to like, subscribe and share it with a friend! Join our email list to get a free copy of my book COUNT TO ONE, get Mornings with Bishop Robert sent directly to your inbox each morning, and lots of other great benefits. Click the link in the description.
When the wall started getting smashed I didn’t grab my phone and call the police. I grabbed a sledge hammer and started to help. You see, the house looked good enough from the outside (unless you looked closely), but on the inside the walls were literally rotting away because of water intrusion. Rotting wood will continue to spread, especially if the problem isn’t fixed and you get more water in the wall with every rainstorm. Sooner or later, it’s too late; the wall — and the house — will collapse. The time to address the problem is definitely on the sooner side of the equation. Because the wood is getting thinner and thinner, and it’s losing its strength.
When you need to renew the strength of a house, you have to open up the area that’s rotten. Then you have to remove whatever wood is soggy, moldy and ruined; if you leave any of the rotten wood behind it will continue to be an issue. A carpenter has to replace what was removed with solid, strong wood that can bear the load of the house. While that’s going on, you’d better be fixing the issue with the roof; otherwise the problem is going to repeat itself. The process is messy, but necessary. And the outcome is that the strength and integrity of the house are restored beyond what they were, even when the house was first built. That’s because there was an initial flaw that wasn’t addressed, and that flaw allowed something inside the walls that was never intended to be there – it was destructive. But now — well, now the problem has been eliminated. My new roof even has a lifetime guarantee!
Today’s verse says THEY THAT WAIT UPON THE LORD SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH; THEY SHALL SOAR WITH WINGS LIKE EAGLES
You and I, we all have the same problem that my house did. Everyone has something inside the walls of their life that was never intended to be there – it’s destructive. Because of an initial flaw called “sin,” garbage has intruded inside of us that’s ripping us apart. Oh sure, we may look good enough from the outside, but on the inside the walls are literally rotting away because of sin’s intrusion. And for some of us, you don’t even need to look too closely to see it. Sin’s rot will continue to spread; and sooner or later, it’s too late. The time to address the problem of sin is definitely on the sooner side of the equation.
We can soar on eagles wings when we decide to follow Jesus Christ and ask Him to renew our strength. The eagle in the image that accompanies today’s message is strong and focused. Eagles are referenced with some frequency in the bible. They portray power, military prowess, fear-inspiring awe, protection, and much more. If heaven has a football team, it’s probably named the Eagles. (That’s NOT in the bible, by the way; I’m merely speculating.) We need the strength of Christ to rise above the storms of life and continue on in victory.
Somehow I don’t think it was an accident that Jesus worked in the construction trade during His time on earth. We need a good carpenter to carefully open up the areas in us that are rotten, remove whatever’s moldy and ruined, and then replace what was removed with something solid and strong. You know, something that can actually bear the load of life. The process may be messy, but it’s necessary. And dealing with the sin-induced rot isn’t enough. While that’s going on, you’d better be addressing the issue of sin; otherwise the problem is going to repeat itself.
The good news is that I know a great carpenter who can handle every issue your life is facing. The outcome is that the strength and integrity of your life will be restored beyond what they were, ever.
And His work even has a lifetime guarantee!
