The Sign of the Summit Place

The Summit Place Mall has been a sign of the spiritual condition of Waterford. It was once a place that was thriving economically. It was a community place. It expanded and the name was changed from the Pontiac Mall to the Summit Place Mall. It really became a source of pride at the peak of its life. Whatever led to the decline is a topic of debate, but it came to a place of neglect which lasted for years. Soon it will be demolished, which will allow for it to be rebuilt, so this is a good thing.

The demolition of the Summit Place Mall should signify a demolition of the high places in our individual thinking which lead us into pride. Whether it's because of our personal prosperity and success, our place in the community, or whatever it might be, all sources of pride need to be brought down. They are not a strong foundation to build on and will eventually cause what we are building in our lives to crumble and fall.

The question is, what will be built in its place? Concerning the Summit Place, we need to pray that what is rebuilt is from the Spirit of God, something that will promote righteousness and godliness. Not from a religious work of the flesh, but from the creative, life-giving breath of the Spirit. The same is true for our individual lives. If we want our lives, as well as the township, to have a lasting prosperity, we will need to have individual spiritual prosperity in place to build on. Individual spiritual prosperity is the righteousness of God which is only found through faith in Jesus Christ.

Proverbs 10:16 in the amplified Bible says, "The earnings of the righteous...lead to life, but the profit of the wicked leads to further sin." The righteous will spend their money on that which leads to further life. The wicked spend their money on that which promotes sin. When we do business with godly businesses it will further expand those businesses. They give their money to the churches, to charitable organizations, to help the poor and for the responsible necessities of life. By giving and spending to these places, righteousness is advanced and the righteous businesses and organizations prosper and expand in the work of the Lord. This brings economic stability to a community so basic needs are met--groceries, fuel, home repairs etc. It also brings a prosperity that allows for all sorts of gifts to flourish--the arts. The ungodly spend their money on drink or drug, gambling, an ungodly/irresponsible type of entertainment, and so on. This type of spending promotes and prospers those unrighteous enterprises.

We want to be sure we remember that the foundation for our spiritual lives is righteousness, not religion. We're not talking about choosing good behavior over bad. We're not talking about an arrogant, superior attitude which turns its nose up at those who are trapped and bound by sin. We're talking about a true faith and trust in the Lord Jesus which results in a passionate worship of Him, and love for mankind.

God is in the restoration business. He sent His Son to redeem mankind which was lost. My prayer is that He redeem the Summit Place Mall property and that it become a righteous place which honors Him. I pray the hearts of the people of Waterford return to the Lord, not in a religious facade, but with a true heart-conversion so the blessings of God will flow as He has intended all along.

To read of my personal return to the Lord see the April 7, 2012 post.