“I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; this burdensome task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be [e]exercised. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind." ~ Ecclesiastes 1 1:12-14

What are you building your kingdom or an ark

As Christians, it's crucial to understand that our true home lies in God's Kingdom. This earthly realm is a temporary dwelling—a prison where we reside until we reach our eternal abode. Our rejection of God left us trapped here on this earth ruled by Satan—this is why I refer to it as as a prions. The question I pose is: Are you still striving to construct your kingdom within this earthly prison, or are you building your ark of salvation?

Building Your Kingdom or Building An Ark.

The narratives of King Solomon and Noah correspond with our lives, intertwining contrasting yet profound tales that mirror the pivotal choices humanity faces. It's the age-old tale of humanity's dilemma: to build a kingdom or an ark. This choice embodies the struggle between seeking independence and embracing dependence.

The question I pose is this: Are you constructing your kingdom, symbolizing your life—determining its ruler, its laws, and its direction? Or are you building an Ark, symbolizing a life centered on Christ?

Solomon's Kingdom

King Solomon embarked on a quest to unravel life's mysteries. Despite building a magnificent kingdom, amassing wealth, and indulging in worldly pleasures, he found it all to be mere vanity.

Everything is Vanity

You can't build a life without God. We can't build a kingdom. We can't construct it because we lack the following:

No foundation: What we build is temporary—nothing can sustain it. It will all rust away and die in time.

No Architect: God is the architect of our lives; without Him, we don't know how to design a life. God is the potter, and we are His clay. He will mold us into the image of Christ.

No plan: God orchestrates the blueprint of our lives; without His guidance, we have to navigate through mere speculation and fleeting desires.

Father's Guidance: Without God's leading, we will lose our way—and walk down paths that lead us to dead ends.

No purpose or reason: Without God, our kingdom only serves to sustain us on this earth. Once we pass this life, it will crumble to the ground.

No love: Our love falls short because we're empty vessels, constantly seeking God's perfect love, making us unable to offer it unconditionally. We draw from each other in ways only God can truly fulfill.

Building our lives is fruitless, and the result of the construction of our kingdoms is tragic.

It will Fall: The lives we build are like sand castles that time will wash away.

Tear it down: The longer we invest in constructing our kingdom, the less inclined we become to dismantle it, regardless of circumstances.

We Protect It: Every challenge to our kingdom is perceived as a threat, even including God, and viewed as an enemy.

What we are living for: What we build tells the world what we live for. It allows others to follow our design. We are telling people to come and construct a sand castle too!

How will we find salvation?: Our kingdoms will not float—it will not make it to the other side of this existence.

Rebellion

In truth, the aspect of ourselves driven to construct our own lives is our inherent nature, often referred to in the Bible as the flesh. It is our flesh that wants to be independent and wants to believe it can do anything—and doesn't need God. It is our prideful nature that likes to listen to Satan and reject God.

God created us with the capability to love and think, but without God, we can't do this properly. The only thing we can build is limited by each other. We are blind sheep that follow each other. We copy the lives of others that look appealing to us. What we build is flawed because we are flawed.

The Choas of Evil

Picture 8 million people on this earth seeking love, truth, answers, meaning, and reason in each other. Everyone is pulling in different directions, feeling frustrated because nothing seems to satisfy the void that only God can fill—this is why evil persists and exists in the world: our yearning for independence and our struggle to fill the void.

The Ark of Christ

Noah got it right. He built his ark on a solid foundation, following the architect's plan—God's plan. His purpose and reason were clear: it was for his salvation.

What were the people Noah's time doing while he was building the ark? Like most of the world today, building their lives while believing Noah was probably wasting his time building an ark when no one had even seen rain. Today, most people are busy building their kingdom, convinced the Christian life puts no significance into what is essential because they don't believe God's Kingdom will come upon them.

Everything we do outside of God has been done before, albeit perhaps in a slightly different guise. Our actions aim to fill the void created by the absence of God. We strive for our glory, and this pursuit consumes and controls us. We imitate, compete, and even fight against each other in our quest to fill the emptiness within.

You are Branches to a Vine

Living for God's glory is the pinnacle of existence. It's about glorifying the One who truly deserves it. As we receive God's love, we become vessels of His blessings to others. When we pour out His glory, He replenishes us abundantly. Heaven will be a place of peace, love, and unity because everyone will live solely for God's glory.

God never tasked us with constructing our kingdoms; instead, He beckoned us to dwell in His—this is our true home, our lives, and our eternal existence. God instructed us to build an ark, symbolized by a life rooted in Christ. This ark will transport us to God's Kingdom; without it, we will sink!

Christians, let's construct our ark in Christ. Every choice, every decision, and every aspect of our lives should be guided by God and directed towards His glory. Let's abandon the emptiness of this fleeting world in favor of the eternal life offered in God's Kingdom. Just as Noah did, let's ensure that we surrender ourselves to God, obediently follow His word, and remain faithful in our journey with Him guiding our every step.

Christians must release their grip on building a kingdom that cannot stand and focus instead on what God has instructed us to construct: our ark in Christ.