January 25 | A Life Built on the Rock
Matthew 7:24, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
I love to go to the beach, lay out and swim during the day and fish for sharks at night. I’ve had the wonderful blessing of visiting great beaches all over the U.S. and other countries. I’ve been to beautiful beaches in California, Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Mexico and my all time favorite — Paradise Island Beach in the Bahamas. At every beach I’ve visited, I’ve seen extraordinary homes along the shore. The homes in Miami and the Bahamas were some of the nicest I’ve ever seen.
No matter how beautiful the beachfront homes are however, they all have one major problem; they’re built on sand! Sometimes when hurricanes and high tides come, those extraordinary beachfront homes are the first ones to get destroyed. However, the small two bedroom homes built on solid ground just a few miles away usually make it through the storms without major damage. Why? Because the cheaper homes away from the beach are built on much better foundations than the million dollar homes on the beach.
The same is true in life. Some unbelievers may have high paying jobs, great educations and even strong family values but, Jesus said, when the storms of life come, their lives fall apart because they built their houses upon the sandy foundation of man’s ways. William Booth said, “Look! Don't be deceived by appearances — men and things are not what they seem. All who are not on the rock are in the sea!”
When we, as wise Christians, obey what Jesus taught, we will survive the same storms that brought down foolish builders, because we built our lives on God’s Word.
The security in our lives doesn't come from our jobs, worldly wisdom or even our family; our defense comes from God’s Word!
Certainly, God wants us to be hard working and successful on our jobs, but it’s not those things that keep us safe from the storms of life. It is Jesus’ teachings, and our obedience to them, that make all the difference. The beach is a fun place to visit, but build your house on a firm foundation!
Reflection
Action
- Examine the foundation of your family, job and overall life to make sure they are built on the Word of God.
- Dedicate your life to building upon the foundation of God’s Word by obeying all that Jesus taught.
- Help others build their lives on the Rock, Jesus Christ!