October 25, 2019
How’s Your Foundation?
Mary Southerland
Today’s Truth
Matthew 7:24-27 Everyone who hears my words and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and hit that house. But it did not fall, because it was built on rock. Everyone who hears my words and does not obey them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and hit that house, and it fell with a big crash.
Friend to Friend
We lived in South Florida for 19 years. Although we did not go to the beach very often, we always enjoyed it when we did manage to get away for a day or two. Dan and I loved walking on the warm sand, dodging the waves as they rolled in.
One of the first things I noticed was the diversity of the homes built right on the beach. Some were large and ostentatious while others were small and quaint – and some were either partially or totally destroyed. We had a friend in the church who built a lot of houses in that area, so I asked him why some houses seemed to withstand the storms while others didn’t. His explanation really hit home!
Some people wanted a house built quickly, so they simply built a house on the sand. They often used inferior materials and made little preparation, but they did see quick results. Others wanted a house built right. That not only takes superior materials, but a lot more time. The sand has to be cleared away, scraped down to the coral bed of rock. Holes are then drilled in the coral and pilings are attached. Finally, a cement foundation is poured, and the actual building of the house begins. The houses built on the sand could not withstand the storms of South Florida. The houses built on the coral rock could.
The same is true in our lives.
The foundation upon which a life is built will determine the strength of that life.
We are so human. We often make people the foundation upon which we build a life. Or maybe it is our career, our intelligence, our gifts and abilities, loved ones, a spouse or children. None of these things are strong enough to support the weight of life. Only God can do that. Only God can be the foundation that brings us purpose and meaning. Only God can empower us to withstand the storms of life.
I ran this idea by our son, who is a master carpenter and superintendent for a local construction company. At one point in his career, Jered bought and flipped houses for a living. I can remember his process of going to inspect several houses but choosing only one or two to buy. I had often wondered what criteria he used to choose the houses he wanted to remodel. Jered was quick to explain. “Mom, I always checked the foundation first. If it was unstable or unsound, I immediately dismissed it as an option. I knew I would basically have to start over if I wanted to sell the house. A faulty foundation will always support a faulty house.”
What is the foundation on which you are building your life? Today, make a new commitment to make a solid personal relationship with Jesus Christ and the relentless pursuit of His truth the rock on which your life stands.
Let’s Pray
Father, please forgive me when I try to do life in my own strength and power. Thank You for always being there for me. Help learn to turn to You first when the storms of life hit. I choose to make You the eternal foundation of my life.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Take the time to really examine your life. What is your foundation? To whom or what do you turn when life gets hard and the storms are raging? Make a new commitment to make Jesus the solid foundation on which you build your life.
More from the Girlfriends
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