A Rock

I'm thinking about the house on the rock tonight.

Did you ever sing that children's song about the wise man who built his house on the rock, and the foolish man who built his house on the sand (which went "splat!" in the end)?

Jesus' illustration of houses on different foundations gives us a vivid example of how trust-worthy his law is. If we commit ourselves to "hearing these sayings of Mine, and doing them," our house - our life - will stand.

Whenever I hear those verses, my ear focuses on the words like this:

"...Whosoever hearth 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."
(Matt. 7:24-25)

That's great. It's wonderful. We can be confident in our foundation. But tonight, I read those verses again, and my eye caught a different theme:

"...Whosoever hearth 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."

Oh. You mean I should expect storms? I'm not a little child singing a song anymore. I've seen that life can be rough and unfriendly. But part of me wants to pull the covers over my head and pretend that the pattern of the ages is going to change somehow, and one human life (mine) will transpire without ever suffering loss, pain, or damage.

Then I read through some more verses, and I saw Jesus warning his disciples. The Son of man has nowhere to lay his head. Enter in the strait and narrow gate. You cannot serve both God and mammon. Not everyone who says unto Him, "Lord, lord," will enter into the kingdom.

I think He's trying to make a point. Life in His service will have trials. There will be floods, and wind. Money-back guarantee.

But that's what makes His assurance so precious. His Word will stand, like a rock - not just through rose gardens and sunshine, but through all the storms of a thousand lifetimes. And we can build upon it. By doing what He says.

This year - what will it hold? Only my Father knows. I bet it will include some storms. But He hasn't left me without instructions on how to prepare. Do His Word. Obey His commands.

And I'll have a house that will stand through any storm.

The view isn't bad in the sunshine, either.