Dig Deep and Build Well by Pastor Phil Harris in Bend, OR

The Dangers of a Poor Spiritual Foundation
We all enjoy looking at beautiful houses, I have even had the opportunity to build a few myself. What you see on the outside isn't always a reflection of it quality or integrity. Often times the house has great finishes but the quality of the framing or foundation may be sorely lacking. If this is the case, it will eventually manifest itself in the rest of the house. Doors will begin to sag, windows will stick plaster will crack; all those "adornments" that were meant to beautify the edifice will begin to lose their luster and only magnify the problems that are the results of a faulty foundation. 

This parable is really a metaphor of our life. We try so hard to look good and do all the right things in order to be a good parent, husband, leader etc. We work really hard on the obvious  things but often neglect the roots or the "foundational" things in our life that, if not properly attended to, will result in disaster down the road. If we don't deal with our issues at the heart/motivational level; all our good work and beautiful successes will be suspect to potential calamity. 

Surrendering to the Master Builder
We must allow God's Word to penetrate our minds and hearts and ask the Holy Spirit to dig deep and show us what may be lying under the surface that "hinders our progress" (Hebrews 12:1). We need the Holy Spirit to expose the flaws in our thinking and character that may lie hidden until the pressures of life and responsibility begin to expose the stress fractures in our lives. Our prayer needs to be that of David who prayed, "Search me O God and know my heart..." (Psalm 139:23). Then in humility and repentance we must surrender those areas to God and become strong at the core.  

Lord help us by the power and with the help of the Holy Spirit to dig deep and build well. We need you to expose those areas in us that could be problems down the road with time and pressure. We don't want to break, we want to reflect You in every way.

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