One of the sites my wife and I visited on our honeymoon was Notre Dame. For it had stood there for over 800 years. We marveled at the architecture, the stained glass and the history. It was one of our favorite places to visit in Paris. I believe that’s why it was so painful to see the fire in 2019. I kept wondering how it could burn. I remembered a stone building, but its roof and spire were built of medieval timber that was dry. It hurt to see the roof collapse and the spire fall. All that work and history were gone in seconds. The parts that were flammable burned and disintegrated while the parts that weren’t remained.
It reminds me of how we as people can be. When Israel demanded a king, God chose one that was from a wealthy, influential family. 1 Samuel 9:2 says, “Saul was the most handsome man in Israel—head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the land” (NLT). He looked great on the outside, but on the inside, he was like Notre Dame’s roof. Later, when it was time to choose the next king, Samuel was still looking at the outside when Jesse brought his sons before him. God reminded him, “People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” David didn’t look the part on the outside, but his heart was in the right place.
1 Corinthians 3:11-13 says, “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value.” One day our lives will be exposed to fire. What’s done for eternity will survive it. What’s done for selfish ambition will burn like wood, hay and straw. As long as we’re still alive, there’s time to change the materials we’re building our lives with. Our lives will be exposed to show whether we are like Saul or David. Man may be impressed by what looks good on the outside, but God is looking on the inside. Make sure your heart is in the right place.
Photo by Paul Steiner on Unsplash
Devotions by Chris Hendrix 