Week of June 24
Divine Structure
by Margaret D. Mitchell
"...you are...fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit." -Ephesians 2:19-22
There was a season of time when I worked for a very large, mismanaged company. This company was so mismanaged that it had grown complacent over time and had fallen to second place within its industry. However, I knew that God had strategically positioned me there.
Once inside this company, the days were often hard. I began to witness the mismanagement up close and personal. I could see much of the carelessness of the employees, the cover-ups of management and the overall lack of integrity within my division, as God would allow me. Since I knew that when God is about to breakthrough, He often positions an outsider as a catalyst to influence an outcome, I began to pray over the employees and the organization.
Less than two years after I began, a rainbow appeared outside my office window. Although I have seen many rainbows, this was the first time I had seen such a wide expanse. I could also see the beginning and the end of the rainbow from my high rise office. And it appeared to be very close to our building. Employees arose from their desks and gathered at the windows in awe. I was right there among them, and I knew in my spirit that God was indicating something important. I prayed for Him to give me the understanding.
A short time later, after God had released me from that company, I learned that that division had been sold to another company, located in the direction of that rainbow. I knew in my spirit this was God answering my prayers.
God, essentially, dismantled that division. He not only cleaned house, He repositioned the house. As a result, many people I once worked with fled, fearing their jobs were endangered.
God knows and see all things, including the fullness of our hearts. He knows the exact graceful balance of discipline and ease we need at any given moment to become all that He has called us to be and to accomplish all He has assigned to us.
His structure in motion encompasses strength, beauty, order and balance. It implies authority and submission to authority in varying degrees, according to what is necessary to sustain life and complete God’s purposed missions on earth as it is in heaven.
For example, just as God designed our bodies to contain a bone structure—the framework that allows us to stand and move—He also inspires organizational structures, designed to serve His purposes and that of His people, all of which is subject to The Almighty.
Consider our military forces and the defined structure of authority that is in place to maintain safety, protection, order and victory. When one confronts war, it’s not enough to think, imagine or believe how to act. One must understand and know the structure that is in place to battle efficiently. One must trust in the authority that has been set forth and take hold of the weapons at hand. One must know how to operate the resources according to the overall strategic plan.
Structures are Foundational and Fundamental
Structures are frameworks that provide a platform upon which to build. Strong foundations are layered, such as marrow and bone within our bodies or like rebar set inside concrete or wood studs inside walls. Strong foundations are interactive and cohesive, like brick and mortar. As Christians, we stand in unity with Jesus, relating with Him and His people accordingly to His purpose, thus building a strong foundation.
Structures Provide a Vertical and Horizontal Hierarchy
Everything that God creates has a structure. Consider the hierarchy of angels: Seraphim and Cherubim praise and protect the throne of God, while Archangels and Angels serve as God’s messengers. Colossians 1:16 says, “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.” God’s hierarchy can also be set in place on earth through inspiring man. Consider the Bible, which is the inspired word of God and a structure upon which we build our lives. Matthew 6:10 says, “May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”
Structures Can Be Redeemed
Just as Jesus redeems us from our sins, He can lead us to rebuild, restore, reorganize or redesign structures to His originally-intended integrity. We see this principle operate in today’s world in preserving and restoring historic buildings and in restructuring businesses for improvement. In Genesis 26:18, we see that Isaac restored the wells his father, Abraham, had dug: "Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died, and he gave them the same names his father had given them." Likewise, Nehemiah 6:3 speaks to Nehemiah’s dedication and commitment to rebuilt Jerusalem against all odds, "...I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?"
Respecting God’s structures honors Him, protects us and positions us for promotion. If you find yourself in an atmosphere surrounded by ungodly structure, forgive those around you; then ask God to intervene, to restructure the structure to His liking and to reposition you. You’ll be amazed at what He will do, where you will land and the new divine connections and opportunities He will give you if you will remain close to Him and follow His lead.
Margaret D. Mitchell is the Founder of God's Love at Work, a marketplace outreach purposed to share God's greatest power source - the love of Christ.
