Crooked Structures

Offer the sacrifices of righteousness
Psalm 4:5

The building was almost complete. After hours of labors and thousands of dollars, the construction workers walked away from the jobsite to behold their work. They had worked day and night for many months to erect this wonderful building. The workers were filled with excitement and anticipation. They could not wait to show them their craftsmanship. They wanted him to see the artistry. Finally, they could show their work to the foreman. He would have to stamp his seal of approval upon their work before the building could be occupied.

The long awaited moment had finally arrived. The foreman arrived on site and stepped out of his vehicle. He took two steps and stopped dead in his tracks. He took one look at the building and lowered his head in disbelief. He had no idea how something of this magnitude could go unnoticed. With a tone of disappointment and sternness, the foreman stamped a seal of failure on the project without even laying an eye on the inside.

The workers were confused and outraged. How could he fail the project without even looking at the whole thing? One of the workers finally worked up the nerve to approach the foreman and ask him why he failed the project without taking a complete look. What about the wonderful carvings? He didn’t even see the vibrant colors? The foreman answered the young man, “Son, I do not question the beauty of the colors. I do not question the wonderful carvings. My problem is not with the accents of the building, but rather, it is with the structure.” He continued, “I helped lay the cornerstone that would guarantee the alignment of the building. If you had aligned your work with my specifications, all would be well. Now, the building is worthless. It will never be inhabited. It will never be enjoyed.”

The psalmist gives a grand thought. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness. The word “righteousness” means, “alignment with what or who is right”. In this case, it means “alignment with God”. My friend, how can we adorn the rooms of our soul when our spiritual structure is out of plum? Why do we attempt to paint the walls of our heart when the floor is crumbling beneath us? It is high time that we stop pretending all is well between the Lord and us? Today is the day we stop decorating and start aligning. Let this be the day you plum your life against the Cornerstone. Then, when your life is aligned with God, you can proceed to adorn you life with the ornaments of grace.