Building on a Solid Foundation
By-Crickettt
Matthew 7:24-27-(NLT)"Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the flood waters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse, because it is built on rock. But anyone who hears my teaching and ignores it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will fall with a mighty crash."
Crowds of people followed Jesus many miles to hear his teachings. He spoke with authority and great wisdom. The people were fascinated by His loving nature and all the miracles He performed. Jesus used parables and everyday situations to get His message across to the people. His purpose and methods of delivery enabled Him to reach a variety of people ranging from those who were highly educated, to those with no education at all. The Bible teaches us that the message of salvation was made so simple, even a small child could understand and receive it.
In the scriptures above, Jesus wanted the people to know the importance of living a solid life in Christ. If we walk and live a life based on God's Word, we are building a foundation within that cannot be destroyed by the devil and his evil plots against us. A foundation that is unshakable and does not waver when disaster arises is a foundation that will be able to withstand even the worst of storms. A life grounded upon the Word, is a life enriched with God's blessings and full of the knowledge God intended for it to have. God wants us to become renewed and stable in every aspect of our lives. Without this stability, the foundation will crumble and our works for God will be in vain. Jesus uses the example of a home and the type of foundation it is on. Let's break down these verses and look closely at their meaning.
In verse 24, Jesus begins by stressing the importance of listening to His words and by obeying them in order to live a complete life in Christ. He uses an example that the people can understand and relate to. The house represents the individual person himself. Our bodies are actually a home for the inner spirit that God has placed within us. What we do with our bodies or take into our bodies influences our lifestyle. When you fill your heart and mind up with everything else around you and put God's Word aside, you become trapped in weakness, not seeing clearly the right paths ahead. However, when you are filled with God's Word, the direction you must take is made clear and God is able to work with you. Jesus told them that a person who listens to the Word and obeys what it says is considered wise. Wisdom actually comes from reading the Bible. You will find in the books of Proverbs and Psalm that wisdom is acquired from reading and learning God's Word. The Bible says to ask for wisdom and understanding. The wise man builds his house on solid ground. His foundation cannot be moved even when the storms of life come his way.
Verse 25 describes a storm with heavy rains and strong winds, much like a hurricane or tropical storm would be. The winds and rain beat against the house, but it does not budge because its foundation is solid as a rock. Satan, as a roaring lion, is ready at all times to kill, steal and destroy anyone who is weak. The Bible says to always guard your heart and put a watch at your lips. Satan waits on you to mess up and doubt God or distracts you just enough to bring chaos in your life. He is the storm that rages and tries to destroy us. The wise man is ready for these attacks and evil plans and will not waver in his faith. He has been filled with God's promises and knows his position as God's child. God has become his true source of strength and ability to carry on. To stand strong, carries much sacrifice and endurance. You must be willing to give up the things of the flesh which pulled you down in the past. You must also be ready for a constant warfare within and all around you. The Bible says in Ephesians to put on the whole armor of God so that you can withstand all the wiles of the devil. We are not just fighting against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities of the air. A wise man will not give up easily because he knows Christ and understands that He will see him through every flood.
Looking at verse 26, we see that a foolish man is one who ignores Jesus' teachings and tries to make it on his own. The foolish man is like the weak foundation of a home. It becomes cracked and infested with destructive insects that creep into the cracks of the house. Or it becomes filled with water that causes it to slowly rot. You could say that the crack represents sin in our life and the insects and water represents the evil works of Satan. The foolish man allows sin to overtake him and the devil eats at him until he becomes rotten and consumed. His destruction is inevitable. If the home is not repaired and the foundation fixed, the crack worsens with the shifting of the ground and eventually it falls. God is no where in the picture of his life. He becomes comfortable with the way his life is and leaves God out. He totally refuses God and refuses to hear or learn who Christ is. The foolish man's foundation is extremely weak. He disregards all good teachings and instead leans upon what the world says to be true. False doctrine is just one of the reasons so many people are lost and "going to hell in a hand basket" as is joked about. But I tell you today, hell is no laughing matter...it is a real place filled with great eternal torment, fire and brimstone, total darkness, and isolation from God. The Bible describes hell and those living there. They cry out with great torment and beg for water to quench their tongue, but there will be none. There are so many types of "religions" and people are being misled and directed down dangerous roads which will only lead to destruction. Jesus came to bring truth. He came to wake up nations and encourage the weak as well as the strong. Jesus uses the example of the sand as being the foundation of the foolish man because sand is not solid and can easily be blown or washed away. When a person does not have Christ in his life, there is no foundation at all. His life is based on nothing but his own vanity. The Bible teaches us that the way of sin leads to destruction, death, and eternal damnation. Jesus said that you cannot serve two masters, God and money or God and the world because, you will either love one or hate the other. God cannot and will not be second place to anything. He said, we are to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and then, everything else will be added unto you. Meaning, all provision and help will be given to you when you put God first in your life.
I have learned first hand the dangers of putting God second. Each time I got preoccupied and forgot about God, I was unable to fix the problems that came up in my life. It just got worse and worse. Everything just seemed to fail. God cannot work with an unwilling soul the way He can with one that is willing. The storms of life will continue to come no matter what so, you have to decide and be ready. To be like the foolish man is like signing over your life to the devil. You are giving him permission to do what he wants to do. There is a difference in trying to do right and making mistakes along the way opposed to someone who flat out refuses to change and listen. We are supposed to take God's Word literally as if our very lives depend on it. Because, our lives actually do depend on god and His Word. It is because of God that we even exist in this world. His breath breathes within us. He has given us a road map to follow so that our lives have a much deeper meaning and purpose.
Verse 27 tells us that when the rains and winds beat against the house built on sand, the house falls with a mighty crash. A foolish man doesn't just have a few minor problems to fix, he is literally destroyed. The storms control his life instead of him controlling the storms. The Bible teaches that wickedness cannot prevail nor can it be hidden from the light of truth. All truth will be brought forth. Great destruction falls upon those who are living a life of sin at the time of Christ's return. There is a verse that states, "A house divided cannot stand". In other words, people who become divided against God or within their own household cannot be stable. The unstable house without God is consumed and falls. Jesus said you are either for Him or against Him. You cannot be lukewarm or indecisive or He will spew you out of His mouth. To know Christ means so much more than just knowing who He is. It is developing a real relationship with Him, talking to Him on a regular basis, praying and learning. Commit yourself to obedience no matter the cost. You may even have to lose friends in the process of giving your life to Christ. Not everyone will be happy for you. You will face rejection and persecution from those who do not understand.
Matthew 7:13 says you can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. Jesus alone is that narrow gate. He is your only ticket to Heaven. The highway to hell is broad and its gate is wide for many who choose the easy way. But the gateway to life eternal is small, and the road is narrow; only a few ever find it.
A solid foundation will never fail. Its walls remain strong and able to withstand all that comes upon it.
The time for change is now! Don't wait until it's too late! There is a mighty storm approaching from the distance. Are you going to be able to withstand it or will you be swept away with it? Either way, it's your decision! I pray you make the right choice!
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