A Foundation Built on THE ROCK
In Matthew 7, Jesus tells a parable (an illustrated story) about a foolish and wise builder. If you grew up in church, or have attended a lot of church services in your life, you may have heard this short parable before. If not, that’s okay! Let’s read it!
“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. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash” (Matthew 7:24-27, NIV).
There are many different lessons that you can pull from each parable; I think that is on purpose. From hearing sermons, small groups, and devotionals about this particular parable, I felt like I knew everything that Jesus was trying to communicate to those listening to him through this parable. I was wrong.
At first glance, we see that Jesus talks about his words being important to not only listen to but also put into practice. The benefit to doing this is your house (an illustration of your life) will be built on the rock (Him). On the contrary, if you do not hear the words of Jesus, and put them into practice your house is built on sand (yourself/the world), which in turn does not withhold through the storm.
As I reread this passage I realized that I typically would think of Jesus’s words as his instructions and directions for our lives. As I look at the passage deeper I notice that Jesus is talking about his words which extend far beyond things that he instructed for his followers and the words that he physically said. John 1:1 reminds us that at the beginning of creation the word was with God and the Word was God, and the Word became flesh (Jesus). The word of God become human is Jesus, therefore every word in scripture comes from the inspiration and heart of The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right” (1 Timothy 3:16).
I think that when we look at our lives we have to be honest with ourselves and ask the hard question: “What is my life built on?” If your life (house) is built on success, friendships, a spouse, money, pleasure, entertainment, etc., your life is built on sand. It is important to note that if you are a follower of Christ, your life can often be built on these things. In the difficult seasons of life, the integrity of our life’s foundation is tested. Will the difficult seasons break your foundation and destroy what lies on top – your family, job, reputation, etc.? Or will your house stand firm amid the toughest storms attesting to the strength and integrity of the foundation you have built your life upon?
Your response has to be the answer to this question: “Are you listening to the words of Jesus, and are you putting them into practice?” You may not know the answer to that because you are wondering what the words of Jesus are. In the difficult seasons of life, I look at the encouragements in scripture that remind me who I am, and whom I belong to… those are the words of Jesus. Sometimes when I am facing difficulty in forgiveness, or with a bad habit, I look to the scriptures that challenge me, and offer me freedom… those are the words of Jesus. Whatever tough season you are facing, Jesus has something to say to you that will encourage you to keep pressing though, knowing that you are not alone! When we listen to those words and put them into practice by living through them, trusting them, and remembering them, we build our foundation on the rock (Jesus).
It is easy to tell someone that is going through trials: “Keep your head up, God is in control.” If that person’s foundation is not built on Jesus, that is not comforting. Why? Because their foundation is not built on the promise of God being in control. The better way is to encourage that person with the truth of Jesus so they can hold onto his words and put them into practice – that is where building a strong foundation begins.
Recently my wife and I went through a very difficult season. Within a year we experienced two major losses along with a bad bout with crippling anxiety. In January of 2021, my father-in-law was in an unexpected and fatal car accident. Following this tragedy, I began to struggle heavily with anxiety and depression as a result of the loss of my father-in-law. In addition to that, just a few weeks ago my wife and I experienced a miscarriage. We can both agree that all those things are difficult and heart-wrenching.
Vulnerably I admit that my life’s foundation had some cracks. There were areas of my life that I needed help in that I tried to handle on my own, and my problems got the best of me. Most of the time when we try to fix our weak areas without allowing God to, we cause cracks in our foundation, which makes us prone to issues. These situations tore up everything that I had , and what I needed to count on (the foundation of Jesus in my life) was weak because of my lack of listening to the words of Jesus and putting them into action.
Noticing that my anxiety and grieving were tearing me apart I could only resort to falling on my knees and crying out to God. My prayer was this:
“God I come to you with nothing, asking for nothing, but needing you.”
From there I allowed the words of God to build me back up, and remind me who I am, whom I belong to, and that I am not alone! Jesus said if we listen and put his word into practice, we are wise because we are building our house on the rock (him)!
Right now is your chance to begin to build your life on Jesus (The Rock), so when the difficult seasons (storms) come – and they will, you will have a foundation that withstands them!
Be encouraged that Jesus desires for you to have your foundation on him so that he can be your price of peace in the most difficult of circumstances. I might not be able to understand what you are facing, but he does, and he cares!
4 ways to begin to build your life on Jesus:
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Develop a quiet time: Set aside time to connect with Jesus. How?
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Read scripture and apply it to your life. Need a plan? How to S.O.A.P.
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Memorize scriptures that speak to your heart. Why?
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Develop Daily Declarations. What is that?