Life, It Can't Stop at a Rubble Heap

Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. Micah 7:8 KJV

On September 11, 2001 terrorist took control of two air planes and flew them into the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Hundreds died in this attack as the two mighty structures crumbled to the ground. All that was left that day was a pile of rubble to remind us of what had happened. There twisted on the ground were the remains of these two mighty buildings. Tons of steel, concrete and wood lay without purpose and seemingly usefulness. All that was left was a memory and bitterness of what had been. But it didn’t end there that day. As America looked at her day, purpose and the need to rise above the terror of the moment began to get up. Purpose to go beyond the pain of the day griped the hearts of most. Plans were put into action as people begin to make up their mind that life was not going to stop at a pile of rubble. America would not be known as a people that threw in the towel and quit at a terrible event in her life.

One of those places where purpose decided not to stop at the rubble heap is seen in what was done with the steel from the two towers. The steel that lay twisted and seemingly unusable down town New York City was gathered and a cry seems to go out of the lips of those with purpose that we will not stop and finish as a rubble heap.

Thus the USS New York
It was built with 24 tons of scrap steel from the World Trade Center. It is the fifth in a new class of warship - designed for missions that include special operations against terrorists. It will carry a crew of 360 sailors and 700 combat-ready Marines to be delivered ashore by helicopters and assault craft.
Steel from the World Trade Center was melted down in a foundry in Amite, LA to cast the ship's bow section. When it was poured into the molds on Sept. 9, 2003, "those big rough steelworkers treated it with total reverence," recalled Navy Capt. Kevin Wensing, who was there. "It was a spiritual moment for everybody there."
Junior Chavers, foundry operations manager, said that when the trade center steel first arrived, he touched it with his hand and the "hair on my neck stood up." "It had a big meaning to it for all of us," he said. "They knocked us down. They can't keep us down. We're going to be back."
The ship's motto? "Never Forget"

In short we will not end in a rubble heap.
Life, it can’t stop at a wreckage pile!

We each know the feeling of failure. That depressing feeling that says we have made a wrong choice and we feel it’s over. Though it may not have taken our life or even caused us to be with God in our life we still understand the fact that we wish we could go back and re-do some things and make different choices. To some life and its decisions have kelp you up at night and caused you to lose the productivity of many days. We have second guessed our living and we wish we would have done some things differently. We understand the power of forgiveness and know God has and can wipe the page clean but in the back of our mind screams the words of Satan or the phrases of simply life, “You’re a failure, all that is left is a heap of what should have been, look at the mess you produced.”

But today I want to challenge you no matter how big the crash was, no matter how final the fall seems, you can’t finish your life at a rubble heap. You can’t stop at a place with no hope connected to it. No, it may never look like it once did. Yes, life may have to take a new turn.
But whatever you do don’t allow your life to stop at a rubble heap. Pick up the parts and make a new run from a fresh direction. Get up and build something out of what has been beaten down.

It was a woman named Corrie Ten Boom that survived a Nazi Concentration Camp and wrote a book about her faith in God that touched the world. It was she who said, “It gets dark under the wings of God.”
No she never planned on writing such a book. Her day dreams never included such a story. But her life took a turn that left her at a rubble heap and Corrie Ten Boom decided that life is not going to stop here and she wrote a story that touched a world. Her dreams had to be re-dreamed, her plans had to be reshaped, and her life was never the same. But her life didn’t stop at a rubble heap.

In your life, it may have been a sin, it may have been a bad choice, it may have been a wrong decision, it may have been a bad hand dealt to you, it may have been simply the way life turned, but you need to make up your mind today I will not finish here. Life is not going to stop at a rubble heap. Your dreams may have to be reshaped, your goals may need a fresh start, your direction will have to change but you can’t stop at a rubble heap.

Psalm 84 is a hymn that was given to the chief musician to be sung with a harp from Gath. It was to be a joyful and pleasant hymn.
Yet it was written during a time of a rubble heap.

The sons of Korah sang this psalm, as from the soul of David. They reminded him of the foundation of his hope, communion with God remaining with him though now fleeing from Absalom. The song tells a story of Israel making their way up to Jerusalem for the feast days. As they make their way across the country they had to go through places that were often hard to get through. In the dry places there were no place to stop and be refreshed. In the wet and marsh places they could hardly cross.

So according to what we read in this Psalm Israel dug pools and wells in the dry places so that when they came that way again there would be a cool refreshing place to stop. And in the wet places the place of Baca they built a bridge so that their next crossing would be easier.
They refused to allow the circumstances of their day to stop them and keep them from getting to the place of the Lord.
David may have passed some of these places as he is running from Absalom and sang this song.

4 Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they will still be praising You. Selah
5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage.
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a spring; the rain also covers it with pools.7 They go from strength to strength; Each one appears before God in Zion. Psalm 84:4-7 NKJV

You can’t stop at a rubble heap. This life is a pilgrimage. Go through the dry places, get across the flooded places. Life just can’t end at a rubble heap.
Yes, you may have to re-dream your dreams.
Yes, you may have to re-set some of your goals.
Yes, you may have to make some life change and find a new direction. Yes, you may have to deal with some sin that is shadowing your life.
But if we would but take the spirit of the prophet Micah as we stand there looking at what seems to be all that is left and purpose in our heart, Life it can’t stop at a rubble heap.

Don't, enemy, crow over me. I'm down, but I'm not out. I'm sitting in the dark right now, but GOD is my light.
It goes on and says  …it's not forever. He's on my side and is going to get me out of this. He'll turn on the lights and show me his ways. I'll see the whole picture and how right he is. Micah 7:8-9 The Message Translation

Pick up the pieces and build a ship, write a book, dream a new dream, pray a fresh prayer, repent of your sin and make a Life Change.

Life can’t stop at a rubble heap.