Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. – Ephesians 2:20-22
They wouldn’t fit” . . . just three little words. On the construction site of a beautiful new church, two enormous laminated beams—costly material—were discarded and lay on the refuse heap. When the superintendent of construction was asked about them, he said, “They wouldn’t fit.”
There are a lot of things out on scrap piles right now, objects with inherent value, that just did not fit. When the time comes to set the timbers or beams, to hang a door or insert the windows, it is too late to change the size or shape of the supplies. If they are not correct already, they will be set aside (hopefully to be used in another project), and something else will have to be used instead.
God is a builder, too, and He is particular about the construction and the building material. He is an exacting Builder, as we read in our focus verse that His building will be “fitly framed together.” Those who are to be used in God’s building are going to fit! It may take some cutting, grinding, and shaping; the rulers and plumb lines will be in evidence. In the end, however, the construction will be awesome and worthy of the glory of God.
Unlike the stones or beams used in a physical building project, we have a choice. We can be fitly framed and builded together for a habitation of God, or we can be cast aside and useless. God will say of some, “They just wouldn’t fit!” but of others He will say, “They fit perfectly.” He has a specific place for us in His work, and as we seek His face and consecrate our lives to Him, He will shape us to fit into that spot.