Re-building the Ruins

UV 1413/10,000 Re-building the Ruins
In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:

Amos 9 v 11

Some parts of the temple that our lives and our bodies represent are fallen down or breached. Some parts are damaged and ruined. In this uni-verse, the Lord promises to restore these parts to re-build it as in the days of its glory. The tabernacle of David is emblematic of our spiritual lives as well as the totality of our existence. There is nothing or no part of our lives that we can hold back. He sees us in our totality and He knows the areas of weakness in our faith and in the expression of our faith.

There are gaps in our faith, gaps in our character, gaps in our understanding. The Lord will repair these breaches in our lives so that we are perfected by grace. We must let the Holy Spirit examine us every day and discover the areas that need to be mended and re-built. The Word is the plumbline in the hands of Zerubbabel, the descendant of David and the restorer of the ruins of Jerusalem who laid the foundation of the temple at the time of the Jewish exile in Babylonia. David, the greatest of kings of Israel was painfully aware of his own failings and weaknesses. He became so dear to God as he was sensitive to the move of the Holy Spirit to convict him and cause him to repent. He never hardened his heart like Saul in the times of failure and vicissitudes of fortune. Like Nehemiah wept, we need to repent for our wilful and not so wilful shortcomings.


Like David we need to repent and seek the Lord’s help to rebuild the ruins and broken down areas of our fencing of faith. Like everything else in life, it is not enough to just build faith but it is necessary to maintain it on a regular basis. Our bodies, our habits, our walk with God need regular cleansing and maintenance to restore it to His pristine glory. The maintenance of our heart- attitudes towards the Lord is most vital in our lives. It is also difficult to detect the changes or fluctuations in our heart-attitudes. Only the Holy Spirit can discern it and flag it for our attention. Only the Lord can re-build these attitudes. This is the house that the Lord builds, it is the tabernacle where He is continually worshipped. It is the basis and place of peace, joy and victory in our lives.


Prateep V Philip