In August 2007, the Interstate 35W Bridge in Minneapolis collapsed in the middle of rush hour, killing 13 people and injuring 145 individuals. The bridge originally opened back in 1967 and was Minnesota's third busiest bridge, it carried across 140,000 vehicles daily. After a thorough investigation was conducted by The National Transportation Safety Board, they stated that a design flaw was the likely cause of the collapse. In their report, they noted that a too-thin gusset [gaw-set] plate was found ripping along a line of rivets and that in addition to the weight of the traffic during rush hour on the bridge, this all contributed to the catastrophic failure of the bridge.
For those of you who may be unfamiliar with what a gusset [gaw-set] plate is, it is a thick sheet of steel used for joining structural steel beams together on a bridge. The gusset plate is installed at the intersection of two or more adjacent beams, chords, or columns. It may be fastened to each steel framing member using mechanical fasteners like bolts, or permanent bonds, such as welding. The gusset plates serve as both a method of joining the steel together and of adding strength and support to each joint.
As we have now entered into the second month of this new year, and we know that we are blueprints, I believe that God wants to ensure that we have reliable bridges in our lives. We cannot get to where God wants to take us in this new decade without strong, supportive bridges. Your bridges are the people who God chooses to divinely align you with so that you have everything you need to prosper because He has precognition of who you will be and where you will go. Bridges are not solely limited to your best friends or just your family members. Your bridges are any divine connections that God strategically places in your life to elevate you or to take you to the next level in a specific area where He knows you need to go.
For those of you who may be unfamiliar with what a gusset [gaw-set] plate is, it is a thick sheet of steel used for joining structural steel beams together on a bridge. The gusset plate is installed at the intersection of two or more adjacent beams, chords, or columns. It may be fastened to each steel framing member using mechanical fasteners like bolts, or permanent bonds, such as welding. The gusset plates serve as both a method of joining the steel together and of adding strength and support to each joint.
As we have now entered into the second month of this new year, and we know that we are blueprints, I believe that God wants to ensure that we have reliable bridges in our lives. We cannot get to where God wants to take us in this new decade without strong, supportive bridges. Your bridges are the people who God chooses to divinely align you with so that you have everything you need to prosper because He has precognition of who you will be and where you will go. Bridges are not solely limited to your best friends or just your family members. Your bridges are any divine connections that God strategically places in your life to elevate you or to take you to the next level in a specific area where He knows you need to go.
In the bible there are so many stories about bridges that we see. Ruth and Naomi (Ruth 3:1-18 NIV), Elijah and Elisha (2 Kings 2:1-14 NIV), Abraham and Lot (Genesis 13:1-18 NLT & Genesis 19:1-29 NLT), and we also see Mary and Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-41 NIV). Out of all of the bridges seen throughout the bible that I would love to tell you about, I believe that this month, God wanted me to tell you about a man by the name of David. David was a courageous man who was the son of Jesse and the youngest out of his eight sons who tended to his father’s sheep (1 Samuel 17:12-15 NIV). One day, David decides to voluntarily fight a Philistine giant by the name of Goliath that caused great fear amongst the Israelites (1 Samuel 17:32-37 NIV). After killing the giant King Saul took a liking to David and met with him deciding to keep David with him as a part of his army (1 Samuel 17:55-58 NIV, 1 Samuel 18:2 NIV). Whatever mission Saul would send David on, he was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army (1 Samuel 18:5 NIV). Overtime, Saul’s adoration for David turned to anger, envy, and fear because of David’s great success (1 Samuel 18:6-9 NIV, 1 Samuel 18:12-15 NIV), and eventually Saul tries to kill David (1 Samuel 19 NIV). In an attempt to flee from Saul, David connects with his friend Jonathan, who is also Saul’s son (1 Samuel 20:1-3 NIV). Jonathan had become friends with David after he first met Saul and he loved David as he loved himself (1 Samuel 18:1, 3-4 NIV). Together, David and Jonathan come up with a plan to determine whether or not Saul is truly trying to harm David and they make a covenant before the Lord with one another to always remain friends no matter what may happen (1 Samuel 20:4-17 NIV). After discovering that Saul in fact does intend to kill David, Jonathan helps David to successfully escape (1 Samuel 20:30-42 NIV).
Saul was David’s bridge that carried him from tending sheep to a career in the army (1 Samuel 17:55-58 NIV, 1 Samuel 18:2 NIV). Saul was also David’s bridge to high rank or what some of us today would call promotion in the army (1 Samuel 18:5 NIV). Overtime, as David’s success grew and his name became known amongst people, Saul could no longer support David (1 Samuel 18:6-9 NIV, 1 Samuel 18:12-15 NIV).
It was a gusset plate that was too-thin on the Interstate 35W Bridge in Minneapolis which contributed to the collapsing of the bridge because it caused a lack of support for the weight that needed to be carried across the bridge. That gusset plate was put in place when the bridge was built back in 1967 and though it was able to support the bridge for so many years, in 2007 there came a point where the gusset plate could no longer work. We see the same thing reflected in Saul’s relationship with David, he is initially a reliable bridge for David but overtime as David’s success grows, Saul can no longer carry David due to his anger, envy and fear.
I need you to understand that you’re a heavy-weight, because the things that God plans to do in the course of your life will be mind blowing. 2020 is the mark of a new era that God has allowed you to enter, in order to catapult you into your purpose. This month, God needs you to be intentional about identifying the reliable bridges that He has already placed in your life. He needs you to recognize that some of the bridges that used to be able to hold you in the last decade, will no longer be able to hold, support or carry you through this new decade because like Saul and the Interstate 35W bridge, the gusset plate has become too-thin. Lastly, God needs you to seek His direction so that you may begin to pursue new bridges that will carry you to new places this year.
It was a gusset plate that was too-thin on the Interstate 35W Bridge in Minneapolis which contributed to the collapsing of the bridge because it caused a lack of support for the weight that needed to be carried across the bridge. That gusset plate was put in place when the bridge was built back in 1967 and though it was able to support the bridge for so many years, in 2007 there came a point where the gusset plate could no longer work. We see the same thing reflected in Saul’s relationship with David, he is initially a reliable bridge for David but overtime as David’s success grows, Saul can no longer carry David due to his anger, envy and fear.
I need you to understand that you’re a heavy-weight, because the things that God plans to do in the course of your life will be mind blowing. 2020 is the mark of a new era that God has allowed you to enter, in order to catapult you into your purpose. This month, God needs you to be intentional about identifying the reliable bridges that He has already placed in your life. He needs you to recognize that some of the bridges that used to be able to hold you in the last decade, will no longer be able to hold, support or carry you through this new decade because like Saul and the Interstate 35W bridge, the gusset plate has become too-thin. Lastly, God needs you to seek His direction so that you may begin to pursue new bridges that will carry you to new places this year.
Take a moment this month to ask yourself, who are the bridges in your life? The people who will elevate and connect you to the things that you were meant to be in alignment with. The people who will be a foundational platform that is reliable enough to carry you over to where God wants you to be. The people who will lead you to your God ordained purpose through your authentic bond. The people who will stretch you, correct you, cover you, challenge you, and celebrate you. You need bridges like Jonathan from 1 Samuel 20 who will be loyal to you and stand by your side no matter what the outlying circumstances may be. You need bridges like Naomi in Ruth 3 who will search for ways for you to be ‘well provided’ for and teach you how to properly reach for your blessings. You need bridges like Mary in Luke 1:41 who will cause what is on the inside of you to leap, activating the Holy Spirit that dwells within you. You need bridges like Elijah in 2 Kings 2:9 who won’t be offended or jealous if God takes you further than HE ever takes them. You need bridges like Abraham in Genesis 19:29 who will pray for you. You need bridges in your life who can help you identify your blindspots so that you can grow in the weak areas where you can’t even see. According to Proverbs 15:22 NIV, you need bridges in your life who may council you in order for your plans to succeed. This month, I challenge everyone who is reading this blog to go out and up your bridge game, because in order to go where God is trying to take you, you will need, bridges.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
We magnify your name and give you glory! Thank you for being apart of every detail of our lives. We appreciate the fact that you are an all knowing God who desires for us to prosper and be victorious. As we are now navigating throughout the year 2020, we decree and declare that we have perfect vision. Vision to be able to clearly see things from your perspective. Vision to be able to decipher the reliable bridges in our lives from the bridges whose gusset plates have begun to wear, tear, and become too-thin overtime to carry us any further. Vision to identify new bridges that will carry us to new levels and help cultivate our God-given gifts. We come against catastrophic bridge failures and pray that every divine connection we are meant to have in our lives will be strong and reliable never collapsing or falling apart in the mighty name of Jesus. We rebuke lose or weak gusset plates and ask that you begin to dismantle anything that may cause disintegration in our relationships, we call down: the spirit of offense, anger, greed, jealousy, dishonesty, disloyalty, defamation of character, pettiness, unnecessary drama and anything else that may hinder us. Bless us with genuine relationships that mirror David and Jonathan’s friendship and are filled with love and loyalty (1 Samuel 20 NIV) God. Place a shield of protection over every bridge in our lives that we are meant to be connected to and may you get the complete glory, honor and praise, in Jesus name we pray, amen.
Heavenly Father,
We magnify your name and give you glory! Thank you for being apart of every detail of our lives. We appreciate the fact that you are an all knowing God who desires for us to prosper and be victorious. As we are now navigating throughout the year 2020, we decree and declare that we have perfect vision. Vision to be able to clearly see things from your perspective. Vision to be able to decipher the reliable bridges in our lives from the bridges whose gusset plates have begun to wear, tear, and become too-thin overtime to carry us any further. Vision to identify new bridges that will carry us to new levels and help cultivate our God-given gifts. We come against catastrophic bridge failures and pray that every divine connection we are meant to have in our lives will be strong and reliable never collapsing or falling apart in the mighty name of Jesus. We rebuke lose or weak gusset plates and ask that you begin to dismantle anything that may cause disintegration in our relationships, we call down: the spirit of offense, anger, greed, jealousy, dishonesty, disloyalty, defamation of character, pettiness, unnecessary drama and anything else that may hinder us. Bless us with genuine relationships that mirror David and Jonathan’s friendship and are filled with love and loyalty (1 Samuel 20 NIV) God. Place a shield of protection over every bridge in our lives that we are meant to be connected to and may you get the complete glory, honor and praise, in Jesus name we pray, amen.
Scriptures to Feed Yourself & Reflect On:
Ruth 3:1-18 NIV (Ruth and Naomi)
2 Kings 2:1-14 NIV (Elijah and Elisha)
Genesis 13:1-18 NLT & Genesis 19:1-29 NLT (Abraham and Lot)
Luke 1:39-41 NIV (Mary and Elizabeth)
1 Samuel 17 NIV - 1 Samuel 20 NIV (The Story of David)
Proverbs 15:22 NIV