Good Morning Sunshine! We Are Entering Into A Season Called “The Rebuilding And The Glory of God”

Over the next ten days, we are going to be walking through a journey together called “The Rebuilding and The Glory of God.” On this journey, day by day, we are going to allow God to speak into the ruins, breathe into the dry places, and rebuild what life, pain, or time may have torn down. Each devotion will lift you from where you are to where His glory is calling you. Together, we will move from ashes to anointing, from pieces to peace, and from emptiness to overflow.

Haggai 2:9 (NKJV) ~ “The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace.’”

There are seasons when God allows what once stood to fall, not to destroy us, but to rebuild us stronger, deeper, and filled with greater glory. The Rebuilding and Glory series is a ten-day journey from brokenness to beauty, from rubble to restoration. Each day invites you to surrender what’s been lost and discover what remains, the unshakable Presence of God.

Through these devotionals, you’ll see that He doesn’t just repair what was, He renews what will be. When the dust settles, what emerges is not a replica of the past, but a reflection of His Glory. The ruins become the foundation for revelation, and every tear becomes a seed of triumph. This is the promise of Rebuilding and Glory, the same God who allowed the breaking is the same One who fills the rebuilding with His peace, His power, and His Presence. The Glory of your latter will be greater than your former! Let’s begin day One!

You Are Experiencing The Great Exchange, Trading Worthless Things for the Worthy One!

Philippians 3:8 (NKJV) ~ “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”

Every rebuilding begins with a breaking, of pride, of patterns, of priorities. On this first day of Rebuilding and Glory, God invites you to make the great exchange: to trade the temporary for the eternal, the superficial for the sacred, and the fleeting for the fulfilling. The Apostle Paul knew this exchange well. Once known for his achievements, reputation, and religious credentials, he came to a divine realization, everything he had built in his own strength was worthless compared to knowing Christ. The word rubbish he used in Philippians 3:8 means waste, refuse, or dung. It’s strong language, yet it captures the moment a soul discovers that nothing compares to the surpassing worth of Jesus.

Paul’s statement is not one of regret but of revelation. He realized that what he lost for Christ was not truly loss, it was release. God doesn’t take from you to leave you empty; He removes what cannot carry glory. Before there can be rebuilding, there must be relinquishing. Every idol that once occupied the throne of your heart must be dethroned so Christ can take His rightful place. The first step to glory is surrender. There comes a point in every believer’s life when you must choose, what will you count as gain, and what will you count as loss? This decision defines the structure of your spiritual temple. The things you chase, success, validation, possessions, or approval, can become walls that separate you from true intimacy with God. The Lord doesn’t simply call you to give them up; He calls you to see their worth in light of His majesty. When you see Him clearly, everything else fades.

Rebuilding starts not with a hammer or stone, but with an altar. The altar is where exchange happens, where you bring what’s temporal and receive what’s eternal. Romans 12:1 says, “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” The altar of surrender is the birthplace of restoration. It’s where you lay down what has been your identity, your comfort, and your control, and allow God to redefine your worth through His presence. When Paul said, “that I may gain Christ,” he wasn’t referring to a distant hope but a daily reality. To gain Christ is to invite His presence into every place you once filled with self. It is to let Him rebuild your thoughts, reorder your desires, and renew your motives. This is the true beginning of glory, when Jesus becomes your foundation. You no longer measure value by possessions or people but by presence.

The truth is, God allows some things to fall because they were never meant to stand in the first place. He shakes what can be shaken so that what remains will be eternal (Hebrews 12:27). The loss you’ve experienced is not evidence of abandonment; it’s preparation for occupancy. The temple of your heart is being cleared so the glory can fill it again. What He’s asking you to count as loss is only making room for what will never fade. When the walls of Jerusalem lay in ruins, Nehemiah didn’t rebuild for comfort, he rebuilt for communion. Likewise, your rebuilding is not just about recovery but relationship. The new structure God is forming in you will not be made of worldly pride or self-reliance but of intimacy, obedience, and worship. Every stone represents surrender, every layer a deeper revelation of who He is.

This first day is an invitation to reevaluate what truly matters. Ask yourself, “What have I been building that God never called me to construct?” “What am I holding that’s hindering His hand?” When you release what’s lesser, you make room for what’s lasting. When you exchange rubbish for revelation, your spirit becomes fertile ground for renewal. Through the process of surrender, your losses become lessons, and your emptiness becomes expectancy. God is not simply returning you to what was; He is leading you into what will be. The new temple, your life rebuilt on Christ, will carry His peace, His power, and His presence in ways you’ve never known. This is where glory begins, not in having more, but in letting go.

As you begin this day of the journey, take heart, every exchange with God is an upgrade. What you lay down at His feet today will rise again in a new form tomorrow. The rebuilding of your life starts here, at the altar of surrender. This is the Great Exchange, the moment when your losses become gain, your ruins become revelation, and your heart becomes His home.

Let’s Pray:

Father, thank You for meeting me here at the beginning of this journey. Today, I choose to surrender what no longer serves Your purpose in my life. Like Paul, I count all things as loss compared to the excellence of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. Everything I once held tightly, I now release into Your hands. Father, strip away what’s superficial and strengthen what’s sacred. If You must break it, then build it again according to Your pattern. Help me to see that what I call loss, You call preparation. I give You permission to tear down the walls I’ve built in pride so You can construct a temple where Your glory can dwell. Jesus, You are my exceeding joy and my eternal gain. Teach me to find value not in things but in Your presence. When I’m tempted to measure success by the world’s standards, remind me that true greatness is found in surrender. Let Philippians 3:8 be the anthem of my heart: that I may gain Christ and be found in Him. Father, cleanse my motives and purify my desires. Remove the clutter that competes with Your voice. Rebuild the altar of intimacy within me. I want to know You more deeply, love You more purely, and serve You more faithfully. Be the center of everything I do. Holy Spirit, fill the empty spaces left by what I’ve surrendered. Replace the temporary with the eternal. Replace the pride with peace, and the striving with stillness. Let every corner of my heart become a place where Your glory rests. Father, help me to trust You when the rebuilding feels slow. Remind me that You are not just repairing my life; You are renewing it. Every delay is divine, every detour intentional. I may not understand the process, but I trust the Builder. Father, I ask for the courage to count it all joy, even when I lose what I thought I needed. Help me to cling to You and not to comfort. Let the fire of Your presence consume the waste of my past so that only what’s holy remains. Thank You for being patient with me in the exchange. Thank You for loving me enough to remove what hinders my healing. Today, I receive Your peace as the first stone of my rebuilding and Your glory as the seal of Your promise. Father, I declare that this is the beginning of something beautiful. I may not see the full structure yet, but I trust the plan. You are rebuilding me stronger, deeper, and filled with greater glory. In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

Nugget:

Before God rebuilds your walls, He restores your worship.

Blessings…

Love Dr. Jean