This past month has been a busy one for our family. With school starting back up, we have all been getting used to new schedules. Even though we homeschool our daughter, we still have to balance school time, practices, rehearsals and co-op meetings. Along with all of those changes, my husband started a new job this month. Needless to say, life has been a little chaotic. As I mentioned in my last blog, however, I enjoy getting into the routine of things and having a schedule. Sometimes that is the best way to keep me focused and on track. In the same way, even though it has been a little tough getting used to my husband’s new schedule, we are very thankful to God that he has this opportunity.
Along with all of the schedule adjustments, we also have many things to contend with such as illness and other unexpected events. For example, about a week ago I was awakened by a phone call from my husband around 5:30 am because he had found an injured kitten in the road. I quickly threw on some clothes and gathered some towels to come to the rescue. After spending an exhausting morning trying to save the cat, she unfortunately didn’t make it. These are the types of events that life throws at us all the time. With so many twists and turns, it’s easy to get caught up in the “why me?” mentality. We sometimes wonder why God lets so many bad things happen to us, especially when a lot of things come at one time.
This got me thinking about one of my favorite passages from the New Testament, the story of the wise man who built his house upon the rock. As a matter of fact, my daughter just made a poster presentation of this passage to share at her co-op this week!
Also, we are witnessing firsthand the catastrophic devastation that Hurricane Helene left on the southeastern part of our country just days ago. I knew right away that God was sending me a message! Jesus tells us this parable in Matthew:
“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
So let’s break it down a little. First of all, the rain, floods and winds not only represent the physical forces of nature that can literally tear us down, but also the trials and temptations that are thrown at us every single day. There is no escaping the presence of sin in this world. It is there crouching like a lion waiting to attack us. Satan knows all of our weaknesses, and he strikes when we are most vulnerable. Perhaps we are already suffering from the loss of a job or a home when illness suddenly takes hold, or perhaps we are grieving the loss of a loved one when we suffer more tragic loss of a relationship. It could also just simply be the small setbacks and hurdles that we have to overcome everyday that keep on piling up higher and higher.
Whatever it is, the rain and storms will not let up. So how do we stay afloat? How do we keep ourselves from completely falling apart? This is where the rock comes into play. The rock, of course, is Jesus. When we listen to the words of Jesus and follow in His ways, we are building the foundation of our life in Him. We are wise to trust in the Lord and lay all of our burdens down at his feet. There’s a popular phrase that goes around that says, “Let go and let God.” It’s a little cliche, but there is a lot of truth to it. When we let go of our worries and leave it all to God, he will take care of us. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God loves us so much, that he sent Jesus to suffer and die for our sins, so that we can have eternal life in him. What greater love and encouragement is there then this?!
Build your life around the Lord Jesus Christ, and he will take care of you. Spend time in the word of God and prayer. Trust that no matter how much this life throws at you, and at times it will be a lot, God will still provide. Keep your foundation on that rock and you will not fail.
Now we need to take a moment to talk about this foolish man. He built his house on the sand and when the wind and rain came down, his house did not stand. So what does it mean to build our house on sand? When we lose faith in our Lord Jesus, and put our trust in worldly things instead, we are setting ourselves up for disaster. When we trust the empty promises of the devil and other people who may not have our best interest in mind, the foundation of our lives will fail. When we do not have that firm foundation in Christ, we can easily fall into emptiness, loneliness and despair, and it is hard to dig ourselves out from that pit.
Although we are never too far lost for God to save us (don’t ever forget that!), how much better off would we be if we built our lives up on that rock instead of the sinking sand! If we stand on that solid rock, it is much easier to pick ourselves up and start again than if we have to climb out of that pit. Now, that is certainly not to say that we are hopeless if we have fallen into that sinking sand. Remember that Jesus is there for you. He will reach out his hand to save you. All you have to do is reach back.
For Jesus said, “If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, He is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.” Matthew 18:12-14
Jesus is looking for you. He wants to save you. You are important to Him. So the next time life throws storms your way, the next time you suffer loss or pain, remember this: Jesus is your rock. Trust in him. Build your life in him. Pray to him, and he will rescue you. Don’t be the foolish man who builds his house on the sand. Instead, be that wise man who builds his life around the one true rock, Jesus Christ!
I leave you with one of my daughter’s and my favorite children’s songs and also one of my favorite hymns, which I know I’ve shared before, but I had to share it again!
Build your life on the rock!
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