Pastor’s Corner: “Solid Rock”
Matthew 7:24-27 (NLT) – Building on a Solid Foundation – 24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
Any home builder will tell you that a house is only as strong as its foundation. Our lives are like a house. Problems occur when shifting soil causes cracks in our foundation — but the choice is ours; we decide on the location, we choose the lot in life on which we build. In Matthew 7:24-27Jesus literally gives a foundational lesson. He compares what happens when we build our lives on rock versus sand. And His teaching is just as timely now as ever, because in today’s culture, “truth” is often subjective. It shifts according to feelings, assumptions, opinions and our own moral relativism (the idea that there is no universal or absolute set of moral principles – we can make up our own (shifting sand)). This is not the case in God’s economy – Jesus is truth; He is our Rock.
When we build our lives on Jesus, we can withstand every storm because we’re structurally sound. We’re equipped to handle high winds and unexpected squalls because life isn’t ultimately about us; it’s about something far greater — God and His ultimate purpose for us, to be with Him forever in heaven! Yet, if we build our lives on sand with worldly materials like selfishness, pride, relative truth, harmful habits, and ungodly behavior, we’ll crack and quake, crumble and fall as we’re swept away by the mighty cyclones of circumstance.
In this parable Jesus describes the storms of life as a matter of fact. He does not say “If” those storms come. Twice he says, “The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house.” So we can be sure that our life’s foundation will be tested. There’s no getting around it. The question is whether the foundation will stand up to the test. Have we chosen to build on a firm foundation, or not?
As we live our lives we must always evaluate our hearts and be reminded of where we are in our walk with the Lord. It is easy to lose focus when we are in busy and difficult seasons. No matter the circumstance we have to make sure we are building our house on the Rock that will stand. What have you built your life on? Rock or sand? Truth or moral relativism? Reliance on Christ or self-reliance?
Choose the Rock! Seasons of difficulty will come, but when they do, your structure will remain sturdy and strong on the solid ground of God’s grace, provision, and the promise of an eternal home in heaven.
Take a few moments to think about your life’s foundation. Write down Psalm 62:6 & Psalm 18:2 and place it somewhere you will see it each day — on the dashboard of your car, nightstand, or bathroom mirror. Then, make it a priority to continue building as you seek God daily, obey Him, and trust in the truth of His Word.
Psalm 62:6 (NLT) – 6 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.
Psalm 18:2 (NLT) – 2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton