The right foundation
Everybody who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise builder who built a house on bedrock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the wind blew and beat against that house. It didn’t fall because it was firmly set on bedrock. But everybody who hears these words of mine and doesn’t put them into practice will be like a fool who built a house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the wind blew and beat against that house. It fell and was completely destroyed. (Matthew 7:24-27)
We hear of natural disasters all the time with nature's full force overwhelming the land. In those places where such devastation occurs, we often see structures that appear okay on the outside but are totally destroyed by the floods or the winds that blew with gale force. What gave the appearance of being "built well" may not have been "planned" well, nor "maintained" well! There is a difference between erecting a structure and then erecting one which will withstand the forces which come against it!
Jesus gave us all some insight into how we "build" our lives which we will do well to consider. We can count on storms coming - it is not something we can avoid in life. We cannot find a place on this earth where we can escape the ups and downs of the weather - nor can we find a place in this world where we can totally avoid the good and the bad in life which comes as a matter of being part of this human race. If we cannot avoid the storms, then we had better look at what Jesus said about being prepared for them!
The foundation is what matters. It doesn't matter how well we "decorate" our lives with this talent or that skill. It matters what "foundation" we create in our lives. It is more than the "materials" used for the foundation; it is also the placement of that foundation onto something that will remain strong. This is what Jesus refers to as "bedrock". Two foundations are contrasted - one is sand, the other is bedrock. We could erect a structure upon both, but one will erode away under the pressures of wind and water, while the other will resist these pressures because it has an "anchor". In life, we need the right "anchor" upon which we build - not just the right tools and materials with which to build.
The foundation is built when we both 'hear' and 'put into practice' God's Word. Without the right foundation, we will flounder in the midst of the storm. Just sayin!
We hear of natural disasters all the time with nature's full force overwhelming the land. In those places where such devastation occurs, we often see structures that appear okay on the outside but are totally destroyed by the floods or the winds that blew with gale force. What gave the appearance of being "built well" may not have been "planned" well, nor "maintained" well! There is a difference between erecting a structure and then erecting one which will withstand the forces which come against it!
Jesus gave us all some insight into how we "build" our lives which we will do well to consider. We can count on storms coming - it is not something we can avoid in life. We cannot find a place on this earth where we can escape the ups and downs of the weather - nor can we find a place in this world where we can totally avoid the good and the bad in life which comes as a matter of being part of this human race. If we cannot avoid the storms, then we had better look at what Jesus said about being prepared for them!
The foundation is what matters. It doesn't matter how well we "decorate" our lives with this talent or that skill. It matters what "foundation" we create in our lives. It is more than the "materials" used for the foundation; it is also the placement of that foundation onto something that will remain strong. This is what Jesus refers to as "bedrock". Two foundations are contrasted - one is sand, the other is bedrock. We could erect a structure upon both, but one will erode away under the pressures of wind and water, while the other will resist these pressures because it has an "anchor". In life, we need the right "anchor" upon which we build - not just the right tools and materials with which to build.
The foundation is built when we both 'hear' and 'put into practice' God's Word. Without the right foundation, we will flounder in the midst of the storm. Just sayin!
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