First Baptist Church of Beltsville
Finding Peace with God on the Hilltop of Beltsville
September was a month of building walls, in a literal and figurative sense. After having made a promise to my children to build them a playhouse, I spent most of the summer agonizing over how I could fulfill my promise. Rather than use plans made by other hapless fathers who made a similar promise, and rather than ask one of our capable men in the church to help me, I just started building. I started and restarted, planned and re-planned, and basically learned how to build a structure by trial and error and error and error. The result is a playhouse elevated slightly above the ground and measuring 8’ x 8’ with a 6’ roof. I am proud of the playhouse, but please don’t bring your level and square to check my work or you will surely crush my little apprentice carpenter heart.
In the Lord’s perfect timing, we have been studying the Bible book of Nehemiah in September and receiving gifts for the BCMD state missions offering. I am so glad that Nehemiah and the people had much greater success in building their walls than I did. They succeeded in their building effort while being constantly threatened; I had only the threat of squirrels dropping acorns on my head as I worked. Where our church did mirror the accomplishments of Nehemiah was in building something that lasts with the sacrificial generosity of God’s people. I am consistently humbled by your giving spirit when a financial need arises, and I was so proud of you when our church was recognized as the top giving church in Prince George’s County for the Lottie Moon offering. Only eternity will reveal just how much is being built with your sacrificial gifts.
During the potentially harsh winter to come, the playhouse that I built may prove to be a solid structure that will last for a long time. Then again, it may buckle or crack or break when tough conditions come. What is certain, though, is that the Lord does not build junk when His people work together in faith (Philippians 1:3-11). Keep your hands on the work, your sword (Ephesians 6:17) at the ready, and your eyes on the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14).