When my marriage was falling apart, I felt like I was a box of Lego’s that someone had taken hold of, shaken violently then tipped over scattering me into a million pieces on the floor then left me there to figure out how to put the pieces back together again. But I couldn’t put the pieces back together by myself. I was in too many pieces and they were scattered all over the place. Thankfully, though, God is the ultimate builder. And if He is the ultimate builder, He is also the ultimate re-builder.
Jeremiah prophesied about the destruction of the nation of Israel. The book of Jeremiah is full of the gloom and doom of the Babylonian takeover. But it is also full of the power of God’s rebuilding. Over and over again, God reassures Jeremiah that He will bring His children back together and He will rebuild them and their lives. If, after 70 years, God can bring the entire nation of Israel back together and restore them, then He can rebuild you too.
Why did God let His children get so shattered before He rebuilt them? I think it's so that they would know Him and know that their rebuilding could only come from Him. Sometimes we are so stubborn and prideful that we are sure we can fix things on our own. And those are the times that I think we need to be crumpled into a million little pieces before we’ll know that God is the only One who can rebuild us. I know it seems harsh. But for me, it’s the only way He could get my attention.
A few months ago as winter approached, one of my coworkers asked me if I had covered my water faucets outside to prevent my water pipes from freezing. I’m from Florida, what do I know about frozen pipes and covering faucets. But as we talked, I thought that if my pipes burst and my house flooded, it could mean the possibility that I could finally get rid of my downstairs carpet and get wood flooring. And if the walls got damaged, that meant a new coat of paint. Of course, I don’t want my house to flood. But for a second, it didn’t seem all that bad. When our houses are damaged and have to be repaired, I bet most of us would like to take that opportunity to fix a few things and make them better than they were before.
God works that way too. When our hearts and lives are shattered or when our relationships fall apart, God can rebuild us and put us back together. Since He is our Builder, He also has our blueprints. So He knows us. He knows what we are meant to be. And in the rebuilding process, He can make us better than we were before.
God knows us better than anyone else knows us ~ better than we even know ourselves. Isaiah 49:15-16 says: “See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands.” Matthew 10:30 says, “And even the very hairs of your head are numbered.” And Psalm 139:13-14 tells us, “You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
So God knows who we are and He built us to be that person. Who could be better equipped to put us back together than the One who built us in the first place? When we are broken, no one can rebuild us like our heavenly Father can. Because no one else knows how we were made in the first place. Only the original Architect knows. Only the ultimate Architect has our blueprints.
God also uses the people around us to help rebuild us and teach us. Nehemiah used all the Israelites in Jerusalem to rebuild the wall. He put each person to work on their section of the wall. And they rebuilt the entire wall in 52 days. Nehemiah was given a task by God, he believed that God would make it happen and He did. God rebuilt the wall. And in doing so, He rebuilt the relationships of the people of Israel even though they had been scattered throughout the land for 70 years. God not only rebuilt the wall, He rebuilt His family.
Some relationships are not rebuilt. Some relationships are broken beyond repair. But that’s not because God wanted it that way. It’s because of sin and the bonehead decisions we make. God didn’t want His children to be scattered and torn apart. He wanted them together. Relationships are not meant to be broken. They are meant to be nurtured and built stronger. Ephesians 2:22 says “And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.” God wants us to be in community with each other so we can be strong for Him. So that we can stand together and be filled with His Spirit. Together.
God is our builder. He can rebuild us no matter how shattered we are or no matter how shattered our relationship seems. If we are willing, God can rebuild us and our relationships. There is no heart or wall too broken that God can’t rebuild. My marriage was not rebuilt. But I certainly have been. The pieces of me that I thought were lost forever, God brought back together. He rebuilt me. And I hope I'm a better person than I was before.
If your heart is broken or if you feel like you’ve been torn into a million little pieces or if there is a relationship in your life that has been torn apart, don’t give up. Hold on to the knowledge that God can rebuild everything and everyone. If we are willing to let Him, there is nothing that He can’t rebuild. Place your broken, shattered life in His capable hands and watch Him rebuild you into a mighty fortress (or a cute little duplex).
Remember: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving kindness. I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt.” Jeremiah 31:3-4
Father, I thank You for the loving and powerful hands that knit us together. I thank You for loving us so much that You have engraved our names on the palms of Your hands. Thank You for knowing us so intimately that You even know the number of hairs on our head. I ask, Father, that You would wrap Your strong, loving arms around those who are broken; around those whose lives and hearts seem shattered. And that You will rebuild them. And I ask, Father, that You would rebuild shattered relationships. That you will gather those people together like you did with Jeremiah and You will rebuild their relationships to be strong, mighty fortresses for You. I thank You in advance for what You will do in their lives. Bring them back together, Father, as only You can. We love You and we give all the glory to You. Amen. ~robin
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