“Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15:58‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

I am going to vary from my normal format and fill everyone in on what has been happening over the past few weeks and months. 

About six months ago we decided to start selling our “perfect” house and move closer to our church. So we began to look. We found very few that would fit our needs of four bedrooms. We looked at a doctor’s house, a golf course house, two log cabins, and one foreclosed house. We decided to put an offer on the doctor’s house. It was rejected due to we had to sell our current home first. So we kept looking. And as other houses dropped off the list we began to look into the foreclosed house. Then as we were looking at one of the log cabins we found out that they were buying the doctor’s house. So the only house let was the foreclosed house. And if anyone knows anything about foreclosed houses they usually are a lot of work. So it became our project house. 

In making our offer to the bank to buy the project house we wanted to include some repairs as contingencies to which the bank agreed to. In time God prompted someone from way out of state to buy our home sight unseen.

Through the buying agreement, our bank required that all of the repairs be made before closing. That meant that the downstairs had to be refloored because we wanted it bough by the bank. But the bank that we were buying it from would not put it down. So they ordered it and we had to pick it up in three vehicles. I would spend the last week in our old house working at the new house getting it ready to move in working on the projects that needed to be done while the flooring was acclimating to the house. So it comes down to the week we are moving and we were told that we had to be out of our old house before the guy from out of state bought it. But we could not buy it until we installed all the flooring downstairs. so our closing would be delayed until it was done. so now we are moving out with no place to go, but the bank would allow us to move in before we buy it while we are working on the flooring. And that is what we did all this week worked on flooring and some of the other small projects. Back in January I had scheduled a vacation with work and never changed it and it fell on this week so that I could be off of work to be home to work on the flooring. Through this week we have had several people help us from Church at the perfect time we needed help. 

Here it is the end of my week of vacation and we are almost done. And this new house will be ours next week. 

This week we had a revival every evening since Wednesday so we have stopped working to go to church. On the first night, God gave us a word that encouraged me that we are working on the right path for God. Through uncertainties in us, God spoke to my wife how we can buy this project house. We know that our hard work this week is not in vain because it is God’s work because this house is not just a house that we live in but that we allow God to use. For everything we have is on loan to us from God. He built it. He makes it. He owns it. We just want to be good Stewarts of His resources He gives us.   

We may look around this house of ours and get overwhelmed, but we know that our labor in this house will not be in vain, but will be blessed because this is in God’s will for us in a much bigger fashion than we may even know now. 

How about you? What is God’s work in your life that seems too big for you? Know this that the One who started the work in you will complete it and work your do toward it will not be in vain, but will be rewarded filled up, pressed down, and running over.

The past three months have been one step of faith at a time. From buying a house during COVID-19 to layoffs and cut overtime at work to asking to move in before we own it. But through it, all God has directed our steps to the exact place to put it. And it will not be in vain but will be rewarding.

“Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure — pressed down, shaken together, and running over — will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭6:38‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://www.bible.com/72/luk.6.38.hcsb

“Bring the full tenth into the storehouse so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this way,” says the Lord of Hosts. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure.”

‭‭Malachi‬ ‭3:10‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://www.bible.com/72/mal.3.10.hcsb

Not just money, but time, resources, and abilities give it to God and let Him give it back to you.