Spiritual Rebar

         God’s promise, according to 1 Peter 5:6 – 10, is to exalt those who clothe themselves with the gift of humility in Christ, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you…And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” Humility is a gift from God that you activate with the desire and prayer to be humble. As you do, the work that God activates in your life is to exalt you. His desire and work is to go deep in your life with His strength.

Each of the four words used in the verses above, describing what God promises to do, are foundational words. The first word, “restore,” is a word describing healing, mending, equipping. The second, “confirm,” is a word describing the strength of a broken bone that has been healed and has become stronger than before.

The third word, “strengthen,” is the Greek word steridzo, which means to undergird with reinforcement. Those who work with concrete know the importance of having reinforcement in the wet cement of a foundation. It is essential for the strength of the structure, which holds up the building that rests upon it. It is in place before the cement is poured. Without it, the foundation is flawed and will soon crack with great damage to the building. God’s idea of exalting is to build strength in the foundation of your life. Before you can go up, you must go down.

The spiritual rebar God desires your life to have in the foundation of your life is essential for the spiritual structure He wants to build on it. The good works He has prepared for you to walk in are heavy with His glory, and only a solid foundation with steridzo, spiritual rebar, will hold it firm and in place. God builds with eternity in mind.

Humbling yourself before God means to go deep with Him, to bow low to the foundation of your life, and with Him to work on the foundation. Being humble means to recognize the greatness of others as greater than yourself. Humbling yourself before God means to recognize the greater strength of the foundation He desires to build in you and with you, than any you could ever provide for yourself.

Today, ask God for a greater intimacy with Him and a deeper obedience to Him. These are the spiritual rebar of Christ, which will give your life a solid foundation for Him, forever.