For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. Hebrews 3:4
“You cannot call upon Jesus Christ or upon God and not be heard. You live in their house, their ecos (Heb. 3:4). We usually call it simply “the universe.” But they fully occupy it. It is their place, their “kingdom,” where through their kindness and sacrificial love we can make our present life an eternal life. Only as we understand this, is the way open for a true ecology of human existence, for only then are we dealing with what the human habitation truly is. And the God who hears is also one who speaks. He has spoken and is still speaking. Humanity remains His project, not its own, and His initiatives are always at work among us. He certainly “gives us space,” as we say, and this is essential. But He continues to speak in ways that serious inquirers can hear if they will. We need not, as earlier described, stagger onward in darkness concerning what is truly good and really right. We need not fly upside down. There is a right-side up, and we can find it.—But we don’t have to. We are free. For now.”
Dallas Willard in The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God (New York: HarperCollins, 1998) 32-33.
What a generous God we serve. He reigns and fully occupies every corner of the universe. He hears all and speaks to people in reply. Yes, He also gives us space to live, give, serve, and love according to His design, or not.
When we attune to Him and follow His pattern for generous living, we gain and others are blessed. When we don’t, we lose and others lose. As Willard rightly notes, for now we are free to fly as we wish. Are you flying right-side up?
There’s a way that seems right to man, but it leads to death. The way of Jesus leads to life. Today I want to remind you of the biggest reason to live according to God’s generous design. We have the kindness and sacrificial love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with us.
Notice how God’s kindness relates to generosity. We are the builder’s primary project on the planet. And His kindness and love backs everything He desires for us to do. He wants us to count on Him to live out His design. He will care for us as we fly right-side up.
Someday we will all have to live this way in the eternal kingdom. But we must not wait until then to grasp life in all its fullness. We can start soaring now. And I am praying for Jenni as she soars to California this morning to spend three days with her parents to serve and encourage them.