Sinking Sand or Solid Rock

There were once two men, and each needed to build a house.

The first man was foolish, and chose to build on sandy soil where it was easy to access and easy to dig the foundations. In a few short weeks he was almost finished.

The second man was wise, and chose to build his house on a rocky hill, where it was very hard to access and to dig the foundation. He spent many months building his house.

As time passed a huge storm broke upon the houses of these men. After much rain, a flood swept through the valley and the man's house that was built on the sand was swept away. But the second man who had built on the rocky hill was safe. No matter how hard it rained or how fierce the floods were his house remained solid and immovable.

Let's ask ourselves the question. What's the foundation of our life? Are we like the foolish man, are our lives built on sand?

The story above is from the Matthew 7:24-27 where the Bible says:

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.  

And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. 

Jesus said that whoever heard his words and obeyed Him, would be like a wise man who built on a rock. And that house could never be torn down!!! It could never be moved!

But if we only hear the wonderful words of Jesus and yet still go our own way and don't do what He says, then we are like a foolish person, who builds his house on the sand! Just think about that, who would want to build a house on a sand-dune? It sounds very foolish doesn't it?

Perhaps the foolish man thought he was safe? His house was standing to start with and it was cosy and warm inside, everything was going just fine. But when the floods came he had no hope! His house fell flat, and great was the fall of it.

What about our lives? When Satan brings temptations and trials to us it may feel like we are being battered by a flood! The Bible refers to the enemy coming in like a flood:

Isaiah 59:19...when the enemy shall come in like a flood...

And perhaps you've found yourself standing on sand before. And when the flood of temptation or trial comes, you fall flat like that foolish man. But! Don't be discouraged, lets choose to be like the wise man. Who listens to what Jesus tells us in the Bible and does what he says!

And when we listen and obey Jesus what rock are we building our lives on?

Psalms 18:2 The LORD [is] my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust

1. Corinthians 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Jesus is our Rock! He is the firm foundation that we can build our lives upon. And if we obey Jesus, and everything He tells us in his word, the Bible, we have the assurance that no matter what flood beats upon us, no matter how fierce the storms of this life may get we will never fall, we will never be moved.

 God wants us to build securely upon the eternal Rock, the word of God. We have been only hearers long enough. Let us now put the important lessons of Christ into practise. He who is a hearer and not a doer of the word, Christ compares to the man who built his house upon the sand. It needs only the storm of temptation to break upon such, and the foundation they supposed so secure is swept away. How great is the loss to these souls! They might have had eternal life--a life that measures with the life of God--had they built upon the firm foundation.

  - Youth Instructor, October 22, 1896

Posted by Kachi