“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them,
may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.
And the rain fell, and the floods came,
and the winds blew and slammed against that house;
and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.
Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them,
will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
The rain fell, and the floods came,
and the winds blew and slammed against that house;
and it fell and great was its fall.”
Matthew 7:24-27

“It’s like the story about the three little pigs.” John paused and we paused. “If you build with straw or sticks, your work is going to be destroyed. If you build with bricks–stable materials–your work will stand.”

It always surprises me how the Lord reveals insight into His written Word with such simple stories. John just added his “two cents” worth to the discussion and then we all were quiet because we were all pondering the metaphor he presented.

We were talking about “how” to build on the foundation of Christ (I Corinthians 3:10-16). You’ll remember the choice we have according to that scripture: Wood, hay and straw, or gold, silver and precious stones. Jesus tells us about the wise man and the foolish man in the scripture above. In the children’s story it was the “wicked wolf” that came and in Jesus’ story it’s the wind, the rain and the floods. For us, it’s the world and how the insidious ruler of this world stomps and rants and raves and uses all his sadistic tactics and wisdom in his effort to destroy us.

I wonder–has the wicked wolf been blowing on your house lately? Or have the rains and the floods come and your “house” has fallen? You thought you were so secure, but you didn’t know what was in your future. Believers all have the same “Foundation” through our salvation experience and that unshakable Foundation is Jesus Christ, but of what have we built our “house?”

I remember during a women’s retreat I had all of the ladies close their eyes then hold up their right hand with their fists clenched. Then I instructed them: “When I count to five, I want you to indicate to me how you would rate your marriage with five fingers indicating that it’s great or your closed fist meaning we’ve got big problems.” About six months later I met one of the women who was sitting in the room that day. She told me this sad story: “I held up five fingers that day–I was very happy in my marriage. I didn’t have any idea that my husband was having an affair and it was shortly after that he told me he didn’t love me any longer and wanted out of our marriage.” She didn’t know that the “wolf” was blowing on their house and he blew it down. So what does she do now? It depends: is her “house” built with wood, hay, and straw, or with silver, gold, and precious stones–her flesh, her strength, her way–or His strength, His way?

So what’s the intent of my little story? To remind you that there is only one sure Foundation–one Rock that can’t be blown away or destroyed by the world’s problems: That Foundation is Jesus Christ. He is our Rock. He is there when the wolf starts blowing on your house and He will hold you fast during the floods and the winds and the rain. He promises to do that in John 16:33: “I have told you these things that in Me you may have perfect peace and confidence. In the world you will have trials, tribulation, distress, and frustration, but be of good cheer–take courage, be confident, certain, undaunted–for I have overcome the world. I have deprived it of power to harm, I have conquered it for you.”

And how do you “take advantage” of this promise? How do you know that He has conquered the world for you? By believing Him. By showing Him by your actions and words that you are not afraid of the big, bad wolf, or the wind, the rain, and the floods. You are trusting Him to face this tragedy for you. You are secure in His love for you and you are confident because of who you are in Him. Does that mean that you will “live happily ever after?” No. There will still be car wrecks, and cancer, and divorces, and broken hearts. It means that He is with you no matter what. He is holding your hand. He will hold you in His arms and protect you from the world.

Sounds awfully good to me–how about you?

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