strategy
Keys to receive a blueprint part 2
You can read part one on blueprints: "A blueprint for the new year" here.
In the last post, I unpacked how a blueprint is more than a vision. It is a plan on how to live it out. There are countless examples of this in the bible.
God revealed to Noah how exactly the ark was to be built to carry out God’s rescue plan from the flood for the righteous: "This is how you are to make it: The ark will be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high..." (Gen. 6,15 CSB) David received the exact blueprints from God to pass on to Solomon to build the temple of God: "The plans contained everything he had in mind for the courts of the Lord's house, all the surrounding chambers, the treasuries of God's house, and the treasuries for what is dedicated" 1 Chronicles 28:11 CSB.
And on and on the instructions go.
Like Noah and David, we can position ourselves to receive a blueprint for an assignment we've been given so we can partner with God and not only fulfill our assignment, but fulfill it in His loving, wise ways.
For you, God might want to give you a blueprint for the vision He has given you for 2019 whether it be for a certain project, a blueprint for your team structure, or your family's rhythms for example.
What were Noah, David and Jesus' blueprint for?
Noah's blueprint was for building an ark that could rescue the righteous from the flood God had sent to wipe away the wicked from the earth. The purpose was to partner with God for a reset on earth that would serve the future generations.
David's blueprint was for rebuilding the temple of God. After the Israelites had resettled in Jerusalem after the exile, they needed to reconnect with their identity as the people of God. The temple should direct them back to God's presence in their midst. The temple would later remind many Christians of the importance of the presence of God.
Jesus' blueprint on how to pray in Luke 11 served the purpose of intimacy with the Father and it showed the way for other people to connect to God.
In all three examples (the reset on earth, the rebuilding of the temple and the model of prayer), the blueprints helped serve other people, the future generations and forge relationship with God. 🔑
Let's look on some other keys in scripture that unlocked a blueprint from heaven:
- Ask 🔑
"He was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray..." Luke 11:1 CSB.
A new testament example on a blueprint is Jesus teaching us a model for prayer in Luke 11. Before Jesus prayed, "Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come..", he was asked by one of his disciples to be trained on the 'how to'.
Where do you need to ask God on the 'how' to carry out a certain assignment, face a challenge, or maybe reconcile a broken-down relationship?
2. Walking consistently with God 🔑
"Noah walked with God" Genesis 6:9 CSB.
Noah is described as a man walking with God and David's faithful heart towards God is also evident many places in scripture. When we walk consistently with God, He can align our hearts with His, and He can speak to us about the specifics on how to carry out His heart in a timely manner on the earth.
A blueprint is not about getting a plan and then moving on with the job without God. No, God shares His secrets with friends who consistently abide in Him.
3. Failure does not disqualify 🔑
"Then David prayed, “I have sinned badly in what I have just done, substituting statistics for trust; forgive my sin—I’ve been really stupid.” 1 Chronicles 21:8 MSG.
Before David received His blueprint he had just been seduced by the enemy to make a prideful leadership decision in counting his warriors.
The key is David’s hearts after his failure. He repents for his lack of trust in counting his warriors and in obedience he builds an altar to worship to God. Like Noah, He is walking with God, not perfect though, but with a repentant heart, willing to bear the consequences of his stupid choice. After David repented, he did not cut corners in building God an altar (1 Chronicles 21:18)
Failure does not have to qualify in partnering with God when we repent and in obedience goes forward with what He has called us to do, now done in His way without cutting corners.
4. A grateful attitude 🔑
In David's prayer (1 Chronicles 29:10 CSB), we see David go public with his honor to God: "Then David blessed the Lord in the sight of all the assembly" and we see David explain how they had received provision from God to carry out the blueprint of the temple: "Lord, our God, all this wealth that we've provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand..."
When we do receive a blueprint from heaven, we can learn from David's example of telling his testimony publicly and recognising where the provision for the blueprint came from. A grateful attitude is pleasing to God.
Promises attached to the blueprint
1 Chron 28:19 tells how God not only gives David the blueprint on how to build the temple, but also the understanding on how to then carry it out: "By the Lord's hand on me, he enabled me to understand everything in writing all the detail of the plan."
That's a comforting fact. We can in the same way believe God not only to give us a blueprint but also to give us the understanding to carry it out.
Let's learn from Noah, David and Jesus and...
- Ask for a blueprint,
- Walk consistently with our Father
- Remember failure does not qualify when we repent
- Carry a grateful attitude
Bless you,
Sandra.
