"Until the Conforming Stops"

[Donn Jibben]

“Until The Conforming Stops”

Pastor Donn Jibben

“When the house was built, it was with stone prepared at the quarry, so that neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron was heard in the house” 1 Kings 6:7

Construction sites can be very noisy.  You’ve probably been near one sometime during your life time.  Many different sounds can be experienced during the building process, sounds of excavating, sawing, drilling and lots of hammering.

When the Israelites built the temple during King Solomon’s reign all the heavy work and conforming of the material was done off site.  The temple was built with stone and the stones were excavated and shaped by hammering and other tools to fit their needed shape and form. By the time the stones were delivered to the construction site no conforming noise was necessary at all.  All the stones were then placed and arranged according to fit together and serve their purpose as forming the temple of the Lord and His majestic presence and glory.

There is unique analogy and type here in this O. T. story.  Right now, you and I as New Testament believers are in our quarry and we are being shaped and conformed by the greatest carpenter’s hand ever.  There is excavating going on, sawing, hammering and drilling.  Sharpening tools are shaping us as well foundations are being laid.  The ongoing construction work being done in us can be painful at times and is slowly separating us from the flesh and the love of the world.  God is using His Word, His Son and His Spirit as well as trials and tribulations as His forming tools to shape us and conform us into “living stones” (1 Peter 2:5).  Indeed the suffering we face all has a divine and eternal purpose, (Phil. 3:10-11) and as we travel this life and road of our quarry we are on a road for placement in a distant eternal land fit for God’s presence and glory!

It’s easy at times to get discouraged and want to desire a life free of trials, tribulations and suffering.  But reality says that is not possible here in this fallen quarry marred with sin.  But one day soon that day will behold us as the “conforming” stops.  Until then we carry on, not in defeat but as one who is being conformed into the image of Jesus our Lord as we allow the construction noise and hammering to continue.  The day is coming and coming soon, when the work will be complete and we will be with our God forever in His glorious presence, home in His eternal temple, praising the King of kings and the Lord of Lords!

Read John 3:30; 2 Cor. 4; Rom. 8:28-39; 1 Peter 4:12-13; James 1:2-4; Rev. 21:1-7.

In Christ’s love

Pastor Donn Jibben