The Daily Devotional of the Upper Room of Nashville, Tennessee, United States "God’s Blueprints" for Thursday, 7 April 2016 with Scripture: Luke 14:28-30

The Daily Devotional of the Upper Room of Nashville, Tennessee, United States "God’s Blueprints" for Thursday, 7 April 2016 with Scripture: Luke 14:28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Don’t you sit down and estimate the cost, to see if you have enough capital to complete it? 29 If you don’t, then when you have laid the foundation but can’t finish, all the onlookers start making fun of you 30 and say, ‘This is the man who began to build, but couldn’t finish!’
Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.[Psalm 127:1 (NRSV)]
In high school I took an architectural drafting class because I wanted to build shimmering towers like those in my hometown of Houston, Texas. But instead of being inspired to design something big and grand, I was instructed to draw letters of the alphabet and a metal bolt. I got bored fast!
Even though I didn’t pursue architecture as a career, I still feel the desire to build and create. But my dreaming has led me down some pretty bumpy roads: business with an unethical partner, money lost on risky ideas, trying to launch a cutting-edge ministry without mentors and prayer partners.
About the time I realized that my latest venture was going nowhere, I came across Psalm 127. I became painfully aware that too often I fail to discern if my plans are God’s plans.
We can listen for God’s instructions by studying the Bible — our Creator’s blueprint for living — and then taking action as the Spirit guides us. Now when I have a plan, I write down all the steps and details, pray about each of them, and alter any that do not reflect the values and principles laid out in scripture. Only when we have put our plans completely into God’s hands can we glorify God in what we accomplish.
Read more from the author, here."Banding Together for Super Results"

A servant says to the king, “Oh great King, I’d really like to take a vacation from serving you. I need to go home where lots of your enemies live and restore the wall that surrounds the city so the people there can be protected from people like you. And by the way, I’d like you to pay for it.” That’s my very loose interpretation of how Nehemiah of the Bible started his building project. He saw a need and committed himself to make things right. What followed produced villains and champions and personal conflicts and triumphs against all odds – Hollywood blockbuster stuff – featuring what some would consider a super hero.
This past Easter weekend, I couldn’t help but draw comparisons between Nehemiah’s story and my new church’s outreach in Nashville, Tennessee’s McFerrin Park. Nehemiah set out to restore a wall but in the process a people was restored. A people who, acting out of a new sense of security and mission, revitalized their communities. Standards were put in place and leadership established. The people again dared to hope despite a chorus of naysayers singing songs of defeat in the ear. My new church family seeks to achieve the same results in a challenging environment. For years, McFerrin Park has been a haven for illegal activity. The surrounding neighborhoods were dangerous at night. Thankfully, as of late, the McFerrin Park area has come a long way. With groups like my church banding together to affect positive change, I have faith we’ll get there.
Banding together is what happened over Easter weekend. Community groups and my church gathered for a picnic. After the last tables were set up, the hot dogs were laid out on the grill, and face painters had their wares ready for eager young customers, I sat thinking about these things. I thought about how blessed I am to have landed in a church family that has heard the call to restore what is broken – stepping up to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Soon, my eye was drawn to the man in the Captain America costume you see standing next to me in the picture. That’s when it really hit home.
Super heroes most often act alone. So, it might be more accurate to look at Nehemiah as heroic and not as a super hero. He heroically led an army of everyday citizens committed to making things right. On this day, there weren’t any super heroes either – except for a few playing make believe. Rather, we were a church family showing up for families in need of resurrection power. It’s been a long time since I’ve been a part of something this good. It feels great.[Kenneth Avon White]
The Author: Kenneth Avon White (Tennessee, USA)
Thought for the Day: How do I seek God’s guidance when I am making plans?
Prayer: Father God, help us to know and remain focused on your designs for building our lives in ways that are pleasing to you. Amen.
Prayer focus: Entrepreneurs

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