Built on Purpose

Click here for coloring details

Most people remember a moment from childhood when they realized they didn’t quite fit the expectations placed on them. Maybe it was the interest you had that no one understood, the way you spoke up when others stayed quiet, or the role you naturally stepped into long before you had the words to explain it. At the time, those moments felt awkward—or even painful. Looking back, they often tell a different story.

That story is at the heart of this devotional in Regaining Hope centered on Hebrews 13:21a (NLT): “May he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him.”

The image paired with this devotional places a woman in the middle of a construction site. Work is clearly underway. Something substantial is being built. She stands tall, confident, and steady, wearing a hard hat—not buried in grunt work, not hidden behind a desk, but positioned like someone entrusted with oversight. It’s not a traditional role for a woman, and that’s exactly the point.

When a woman says she works in construction, she's probably used to someone reacting with surprise—especially if she isn’t currently covered in dust or surrounded by tools. Yet this woman looks like she belongs exactly where she is. She isn’t performing for approval. She isn’t shrinking to fit assumptions.

It’s easy to imagine her younger years. A girl who didn’t gravitate toward what was expected. Someone curious about how things worked, how systems were built, how leadership functioned. Maybe she was called bossy instead of bold. Maybe she didn’t back down from bullies. Maybe she didn’t fit neatly into the boxes offered to her. Those experiences likely caused some hurt—but they also shaped her. They became tools.

Hebrews 13:21 reminds us that God equips us intentionally. Not just with skills, but with character. Not just for tasks, but for purpose. If this woman leaned into God during those formative, uncomfortable years, she wasn’t just prepared to manage a project—she was prepared to lead people, make wise decisions, and stand firm when challenges arose.

That understanding guided the choices in this image.

Her eyes are the focal point—alert, watchful, engaged. She isn’t standing on the job looking bored, waiting for her shift to end. She sees what’s happening around her. Maybe she’s noticing a worker one misstep away from danger. Maybe supplies are arriving. Maybe she’s recognizing a flaw in the plan and considering a better approach. Whatever has caught her attention, she is ready to respond. She is equipped.

Another intentional choice was how she presents herself. She doesn’t adopt the mindset of, “I work construction, so I have to abandon being a woman.” This isn’t about appearances for appearance’s sake. It’s about identity. An unlikely assignment doesn’t require you to erase the way God designed you. She can wear a hard hat and mascara if both reflect how she was created. Purpose doesn’t cancel personality.

That ties directly into the heart of the devotional this image comes from. God doesn’t hand out random tools and hope for the best. He equips us with exactly what we need for the work He’s calling us to do—drawing from our experiences, our strengths, and even our struggles. Nothing is wasted. Every piece matters.

Standing in the middle of a construction site can feel overwhelming. Standing in the middle of your calling can feel the same way. But if God placed you there, He has already provided what you need.

The work may still be in progress.

So are you.

And that is not a flaw in the design—it is the design.

Access the entire study in Regaining Hope. Click here.