Build your house upon the Rock

Have you ever seen someone build a sandcastle at the beach and watch where they decide to start the foundation of the castle?  If you notice and experienced sandcastle builder will build his castle far enough away from the water, that his work will not be destroyed.  On the other hand a person who has no experience building a sandcastle will just pick a spot without worrying about the elements around the castle. 

This is like us when we are deciding which way to build our lives.  Are we going to build our lives upon the abilities we think we have, or are we going to build our lives on the abilities of Jesus Christ? 

In Matthew 7:24-27 we see how and where we are to build our lives.  We see these verses as an example to using the perfect architect, God, or our foolish, feeble minds.

We esteem ourselves to highly when we think that we have all the tools and abilities needed to create our own lives.  Yes, we have abilities, but those come from God, not from you. 

Verse 24 says So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts upon them (obeying them) will be like a sensible (prudent, practical, wise) man who built his house upon the rock. (25) And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. (26) And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them will be like a stupid (foolish) man who built his house upon the sand.  (27) And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell- and great and complete was the fall of it.

Jesus, known for using parables, is using one again about building a house.  These verses, though they can be taken literally, are being used here, figuratively.  He is telling us that our lives should be built on the rock of His word, and not the thoughts of our minds, or directions of our flesh.

Jesus tells us in verses 21-23 that if you do not keep His commandments, surely He will not recognize you in death.  He is saying, I believe, that He has given us one commandment that is held higher than all others and that is to love each other as we love ourselves.  We are also not to have any other Gods before Him.  I personally think this is where we should all start.

We see the connection between verses 21-23, in that if you don’t obey His commandments to love each other and have no other God before Him, you will never be able to build your house upon the rock.  You are to foolish to acknowledge the words that He has given to you, you surely will be too foolish to know that building your house on the sand, will lead you to destruction.

This is like the sandcastle that is built close to the water.  This person is foolish as each time the water comes rushing in or the tide comes in, the sandcastle, and all the time spent creating the sandcastle will be washed away.  

When you study the ground, the area, and where the tide is reaching and decide to build your sandcastle on solid ground away from the dangers that loom around, your castle will have the opportunity to remain, and you will be able to look upon your achievements with satisfaction, not bewilderment.

I believe in these verses, 24-27 we are being told, once again, that yes, the storms of life are going to come they are going to come against your home, which is your body, and some will come with greater force than others.  Our bodies are the temple of the Lords, and where the Holy Spirit dwells, after you have received Jesus as your Savior, so when you are the temple of God, you are building your foundation on the word, or the rock.

He is the rock, on which we should build our lives, so when these storms come, and again, they are coming, we will be shielded by His grace and mercy.  We will be protected because we are firmly planted in Him, and not in ourselves.  We have the knowledge that a person who doesn’t follow Jesus has, we have the knowledge of His word and how to create a life that is pleasing to Him.

The person who chooses to not follow Jesus, and accept Him as their Savior, they are building their houses, or their bodies, on their own thoughts, wills and emotions.  They are aimlessly walking through life, trying to seek the love and purpose we who know Christ have, through Him.

The person, who is following their own path, is the one who builds their house on the sand.  These are the people who build their sandcastle close to the water, and wonder why they are not able to complete their task.   These people are going to have storms of varying degrees but their storms will rock and shake them.

Their storms will create destruction and leave them wondering what happened.  They will wonder how a small storm was able to level everything they have put their hands too.  Notice the word THEIR.  They built their lives around themselves, instead of around God.

Here is what we know; it’s never too late to change the construction of your home.  It’s never too late to say, you know I think we should move from where the water is to where there is a stronger foundation. 

We always have the opportunity, as long as we are drawing breathe, to realize that we have made the wrong choice in building our lives on our own will, and submit to Jesus and keep His commandments.

Hope is never lost to those who are still living this life.  Jesus has told us in a parable about a shepherd who had 100 sheep, and while he was counting the sheep he realized that he only had 99 with him.  He immediately left the 99 that he had and began searching for the one that was missing. 

This is Jesus searching for you. 

If you built your house on the sand, as I once have, it’s not too late for you to decide to fire the architect, which would be you, and higher the supreme architect, which would be Jesus.

Search your heart and look around you, are you struggling every time something goes wrong in your life?  Are you constantly looking for validation and love in people?  Are you trying to fill the holes that are in your life with drugs, alcohol, sex, or new age rituals?  If you said yes to these things you are building your life on the sand, and need to build your life on God.

He will accept you as you are and heal all those empty places that you are carrying around with you now.  He will bring a love to you that you never knew and He will become the master architect of your life, and soon that sandcastle will become a mansion full of hope, opportunity, peace, love, grace and mercy.

Your mansion will be full of Jesus!