From the pen of Brother Dennis Sampson, Recently I was on my way to visit a local church and as I was driving down a side street something didn’t seem right. In the middle of this block was a beautiful four foot tall iron fence that was painted glossy black. The lot that it guarded looked to be two maybe three times the normal size of a piece of property. I am not sure because I had no reference point, there was no house or any structure on the land. It did have some very healthy looking green grass.
I couldn’t figure why such a fence would be necessary since there was nothing to protect, at least as far as I could see. Then I got to thinking about it made perfect sense. While I had at first been speculating on what might have been there in the past, what was really sitting there was the future. Sure that open area didn’t look like much to me but that is because I don’t own it. I’m sure the fellow who does not only knows it’s past, sees it potential, and expects to realize it one day soon. Exactly what he will build there I don’t know but he does.
That got me to thinking of another owner who built a fence around His property. He knew the storms would blow through and cause some damage and that people would come by and declare the property worthless. There would be those who would come by and speculate if anything could be done with it given the shape it was in. None of that mattered because His eyes were looking squarely at the future. We read about that fence He built in Luke 22:31,32 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
Jesus built His fence around His property (1 Corinthians 6:20), Simon Peter. Peter thought one thing about himself. Satan looked to destroy him in the storm that was coming fast and hard. People looked at him as just an uneducated man (Acts 4:13) and no possible future. His owner saw different. He saw a flawed man who could be turned around and lead that first way of disciples out to win souls. A future project that would see him preached his first sermon and 3,000 souls saved. A future where Simon Peter would be used to write two books of the New Testament and have a hand in helping other books of the Bible be written. What God Almighty would build on that property would be a testimony that would indeed 2,000 years later still be strengthening the brethren.
Oh it’s there in you too. It may seem like God hasn’t done anything with you nor does it look like He plans on doing anything any time soon but remember His time line is different from ours and that we have to first allow Him to build us His way. How often has He had to stop construction because we deny Him the permit to build? What grandeur can He do with a person who is completely yielded over? When Jesus bought you with His precious blood He bought all the property He needed to build with, it is there. Will you let Him have at it?
