Hebrews 3:4 – For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. (NIV)

In the heart of Maybole, Scotland, there is an old collegiate church, where the ancient kings of Carrick were buried. It's over 800 years old, is in ruins, and is also surrounded by an old cemetery, which is still looked after by the town council. To the north of the church, there is a high hill, and at the top of it, there is an old building where the reformer John Knox once had an argument with the local bishop about communion. The argument lasted three days, and so many people came to hear it that Maybole ran out of bread.

Both these buildings are quiet places, and hardly anyone visits them. They so blend in with the surrounding townhouses that passers-by don't give them a second glance. It's sad, because both places are rich with history and both played important parts in developing the Christian culture of the Scottish people. In their heyday, they were buildings of worthiness and importance; nowadays, they are just part of the quaint rural scenery.

I guess that's what the writer of Hebrews is trying to convey in today's Scripture verse. We're forever building houses, churches, and edifices that seem important to a particular people, for a particular time. But eventually, the centuries wear down the buildings, their importance is diminished, and they pass into the halls of history.

Not so with God. He is the builder of everything, and for eons, His works have declared His power and prestige, His strength and sovereignty. He is the creator of the cosmos and the sustainer of the universe. His mightiness is seen across billions of light years and will continue to be experienced forever.

Prayer: Lord God Almighty, when we consider our grandest buildings and oldest constructions, they are nothing compared to Your mighty works. We think that three thousand-year-old pyramids are magnificent wonders, yet even they pale into insignificance beside the tiniest of planets or the smallest of Your galaxies. Keep us in awe of Your greatness, and help us to revere You as the almighty builder of the universe. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.

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John Stuart <traqair@aol.com>
Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
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