Ezekiel 42:20 English Standard Version (ESV) He measured it on the four sides. It had a wall around it, 500 cubits long and 500 cubits broad, to make a separation between the holy and the common.

We will find that the scriptures will often speak to issues that are part of our personal experience. If we want to talk about those walls coming down in our tale of our kitchen yesterday, here is a verse that talks directly to the issue of walls being an obstacle that separate us.

The vision from Ezekiel concerned a new temple that has not been built.

Ezekiel 40:4 English Standard Version (ESV) And the man said to me, “Son of man, look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I shall show you, for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel.”

While the words of his prophecy were meant for Israel, they contain truths meant for all of us.

When we put up walls they separate us in ways that hinder communion and communication.

God saw to it that my wife and I could have open lines of communication in our home. That is not to say that we haven’t put up walls in our hearts that become barriers to open communication.

That is a common thing and not holy. A marriage is a holy covenant between a man and wife. Keeping that covenant is important. Keeping those walls down is important.

Walls indicate there is a lack of trust and when we cannot trust each other we lose the ability to help one another as God intended. We were put together to be helpmates. 

What those walls consist of is a very personal matter. Going into any kind of detail about what those things might be would create a list that might not include the ones for a reader. That might lead to ignoring theirs because it is not on the list.

Any wall is a barrier to communion and what it is made of is irrelevant to the damage it does in a relationship. We all have to look within ourselves and be honest about our trust issues and the love that we have for one another.

We may hide the wall but trust is damaged and when that is true then how we love one another is affected. That will be felt and no amount of hiding is going to change that.

Tear down the walls to regain the trust.

Matthew 7:11 English Standard Version (ESV) If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

This is a tale of what I wanted in my heart but never did pray about.

Our house had a galley kitchen where a wall separated the living room from the kitchen. If my wife was in the kitchen I could not see her nor could she hear me clearly. It was like we were shouting at each other. I wanted an open kitchen design.

After my stroke and the loss of my job I was on long term disability and with a steady income, we decided to take off on an extended vacation. We went around America seeing many national parks, visited friends and family with no real set agenda.

When we got back we learned that our house had been burglarized and set on fire. The first thing I asked the contractor was about redesigning the kitchen. “Can these walls come down?” He said yes.

We spent half the insurance money on our dream kitchen. I got what I wanted without actually praying for it.

When it came time to move on that kitchen was the best selling point for the property. We got three times what we paid for the house just because of the kitchen.

How much of what happened was put into motion by God?

What I left out was my wife having this feeling that we needed to increase our house insurance before we went on vacation. I listened to her and that made a big difference in the remodeling plans. Did God put that on her heart? It sure felt like it.

This wasn’t a wish or a prayer, it was just a feeling.

Now it is time to decide just how much of all the good that has happened is going to be a tale of a blessing from Father God and praising Him.

God put it on Pharaoh’s heart to resist Him in order to show Himself stronger. Is it possible that God put it on our thief’s heart to burn our house as well?

I do not know and I do not care.

I praise God in all of it because I believe He looked into my heart and said, “Yes, you can have that open design. Now stop yelling at My daughter.”