The Blueprint for a Life Built on God

The Blueprint for a Life Built on God

Scriptures (NLT)

Psalm 19:7 "The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple."

Joshua 24:15 "But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve... But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord."

James 1:5 "If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking."

Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."

Life often feels like an unpredictable storm. Our minds race with choices, our hearts fracture under stress, and our hands grow weary from striving. In the middle of this chaos, God provides a divine blueprint for a stable and vibrant life. This blueprint rests on four unshakable pillars: His perfect Word, our intentional choices, His generous wisdom, and our eternal purpose.

Our foundation begins in Psalm 19:7:

"The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul..."

The Hebrew word translated "reviving" is shub (שׁוּב), meaning to return, restore, or turn back. Imagine a compass needle returning to true north or a weary traveler finally finding the path home. God's Word does far more than comfort us—it restores us. It brings wandering hearts back to the One who created them and breathes new life into weary souls.

But restoration always calls for a response.

Joshua challenged Israel with these unforgettable words:

"But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15)

The Hebrew word abad (עָבַד) means to serve, to work, and to worship. In Scripture, worship was never confined to a building or a single day each week. Worship was how people lived. Whatever receives our time, our attention, our affection, and our trust becomes what we truly worship.

Joshua drew a line in the sand, and every generation since has been asked to draw that same line.

Whom will we serve?

Making that choice is only the beginning. Living it requires wisdom.

James gives us this wonderful promise:

"If you need wisdom, ask our generous God..."

The Greek word haplōs (ἁπλῶς) means simply, sincerely, generously, and without reservation. God never rolls His eyes at our questions. He never says, "You should already know this." Instead, He welcomes us to ask, and He delights in giving wisdom to His children.

Then Paul reminds us why all of this matters.

"For we are God's masterpiece..."

The Greek word poiēma (ποίημα) is where we get our English word poem. It describes something intentionally crafted by a master artist.

You are not an accident.

You are not defined by your failures.

You are not what others have said about you.

You are God's masterpiece, lovingly created for the good works He prepared long before you ever took your first breath.

As I read these verses, I cannot help but think about the journey Ross and I have walked.

There was a time when we were anchored to the world instead of anchored to Christ. We lived for our own pleasures and desires. We enjoyed television, hiking, an occasional drink, and dancing on Friday or Saturday nights. None of those things are wrong by themselves, but they had become the center of our lives instead of God.

We both knew our Triune God. Earlier in our lives we had loved Him and served Him faithfully. But painful experiences within the church had hardened our hearts. We looked at God's people and said, "Lord, they're full of lies, sin, and evil."

God never stopped reaching for us.

Then our home burned.

Losing our home was one of the greatest wake-up calls of our lives. We were living on Section 8 housing assistance, allowed only $600 per month for rent. We had eight dogs, ten cats, sixteen chickens, and two bunnies. We had been blessed to live there for ten years, and suddenly everything changed.

We desperately searched for another place to live.

Rent after rent was far beyond what we could afford.

For more than two years we searched, prayed, hoped, and sometimes simply cried.

There were moments when exhaustion overwhelmed us. We felt lost. We felt defeated. We even questioned our worth.

But instead of allowing bitterness to consume us, we remembered the God we had once walked so closely with.

So we chose Him again.

We prayed.

We cried out.

We pleaded.

We made promises to God, and by His grace, we kept them.

Little by little, God answered.

One answer simply said, "Look north of Bangor."

We looked at several places. One seemed perfect until we discovered nearly $10,000 in unpaid taxes, water, and sewer bills that would have become our responsibility.

So we kept praying.

We kept trusting.

In July of 2019 we purchased the little piece of land here in Patten.

By September we moved onto it in our camper.

There was no electricity.

No heat.

Very few comforts.

But we had something even greater.

We had hope.

Then COVID arrived and seemed to pause the entire world. Churches closed, plans changed, and life became uncertain once again. Yet when churches reopened, Ross and I returned with grateful hearts.

Today we rarely miss a service unless sickness keeps us home.

Looking back now, I can clearly see what I could not see then.

God was restoring us.

He was teaching us to choose Him every day.

He was generously giving us wisdom one step at a time.

And He was shaping us into His masterpiece.

Today our greatest joy is no longer found in possessions or comfort.

Our joy is found in serving Christ.

We still face struggles.

Life is not suddenly easy.

There are days when finances are tight, health is uncertain, and challenges continue to come.

Yet we have learned something priceless.

Whether life is overflowing with blessings or feels painfully lean, God is still worthy of our praise.

Like Job, we have learned that our circumstances do not determine God's goodness.

God does.

Everything we have comes from Him.

Everything we are belongs to Him.

And everything we hope for rests securely in His faithful hands.

If God could restore two broken, wandering hearts like ours, He can restore yours as well.

Today, let Him reset your heart through His Word.

Choose whom you will serve.

Ask boldly for His wisdom.

Then walk confidently as His masterpiece, knowing He has already prepared the path before you.

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for never giving up on us, even when we wander far from You. Thank You for restoring our souls through Your perfect Word, for patiently leading us back when we lose our way, and for reminding us that Your plans are always greater than our own.

Lord, help us choose You every single day. Give us the wisdom we need for every decision, every hardship, and every opportunity to serve. Help us remember that we are Your masterpiece, lovingly created with purpose and called to reflect Your love to a hurting world.

Thank You for Your faithfulness through every storm. Thank You for carrying us when we were too weary to walk. May our lives always point others to Jesus Christ.

In His precious name we pray.

Amen.

The Lord's Prayer 

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive our trespassers. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

BELIEVE, OBEY, BE BLESSED.

AMEN.

BOBBA ❤️ 

Love, Penny 💛