The Floor Plan of God

Jeremiah 22:13-23

“Unless the Lord builds the house, they who build it labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1). “See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass them by…” (Amos 7:8). Those are the verses I thought of when as I read through today’s passage from Jeremiah. “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms by injustice…” (Jeremiah 22:13). When we take these verses together it is clear that God has a “floor plan” for our world, for our society, for our lives. We may try to create a legacy for ourselves, but unless we pay attention to God’s will and God’s judgment, we build in vain. If our building materials include unrighteousness and injustice then the structure will be insecure and morally out of plumb.

So who would ever knowingly build such a faulty structure? We know the answer to that question because we ourselves are guilty of the practice. A half-truth here, a blind eye there, a choice made according to expediency and not according to what is just, and pretty soon our lives are leaning precariously away from God’s intentions. The same is true of communities and nations. Taking advantage of others, overlooking the needs of the weak and oppressed, focusing too much on our desires and not enough on what God wants can leave us tottering on the brink of a spiritual collapse. We must work to shore up the structures with justice, to support the walls with righteousness. We must allow God to build through us and not ignore God’s instructions. After all, the floor plan of God is the only design guaranteed to provide for our needs and those of others.

Prayer: Gracious God, help to build lives of righteousness and justice and to reach out to those in need. In Jesus’ name. Amen.