Where Does Your Life Rest?
Read the Text: Matthew 7
Memorize the Text: Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into the harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38)
Consider the Text: Matthew 7:24-29
Jesus closed the Sermon on the Mount with an illustration. He told a story of two different contractors who each built a home. The first builder erected his house on the foundation of rock. The second builder constructed his home on a foundation of sand. Both these homeowners established a residence that probably mirrored one another externally, but Jesus wants to show the deeper reality. Though these homes may have resembled one another externally, the foundation of each differed. The genuine test of the homes' sustainability came in facing the storms. Jesus's ending of the sermon provided a profound spiritual truth about how we should construct our lives.
Jesus illustrated a life built on the momentary in the builder constructing on the SANDY FOUNDATION. The sandy base served as an insecure foundation for the home. By nature, sand shifts and moves and provides unstable footing. The sand on a beach moves because of waves, storms, and wind. Sand cannot withstand the long-term impacts of the elements. Thus, a structure erected on the sand does not have the needed sustainability for the long haul.
The builder, who used sand as a foundation, models the life of one who erects their life on the momentary realities of this world. When we seek to find value, have security, and trust in this world's people, places, and things, we attempt to build a lasting future on shifting sand. Thus, the needed stability for life does not exist, and we become easily tossed to and fro by the moment. Our future becomes destined for failure because we constructed our life on an unstable foundation.
Counter to the contractor building on the foundation of sand was the builder constructing his house on the ROCKY FOUNDATION. Unlike the sand, rock forms a foundation that does not move when facing the elements of life. This contractor took the needed time to secure his house by placing it on a sure base. The strong foundation would not be seen by the eye looking at the home from the exterior but served as the most critical element of the house. The builder knew that using the rock as a foundation meant that the home would face the struggles of the storms against it with certainty.
The builder, who used the rock as a foundation, demonstrated the need for one's life to be built upon the rock. The rock comes in a relationship with Jesus Christ, and it is upon him that we must build our lives. So, likewise, the foundation is a spiritual foundation because of a relationship with Christ that allows us to find our identity in him, find our purpose in him, and place our trust and hope in him. Thus, the future becomes sure and secure because it rests in the character, person, and work of Christ.
As Jesus told the story, he noted that storms would come against both houses. These storms served as illustrations of the STORMS IN LIFE faced by everyone. Storms rage and batter against our lives. We battle against the elements to stand firm and endure when storms hit. These moments have a way of causing fear and pain. They can cause weariness and struggle. The ability to face storms does not occur in the external façade but on the foundation of life.
Jesus declared two varying REMAINS FROM THE STORM. The builder who trusted the sandy foundation faced life in ruins. The house could not withstand the pressure applied by the storm. As the elements battered the structure, the foundation shifted and gave way created a pile of ruins instead of a house. The contractor who erected on the rock faced the same storm. The difference became certain as the house remained firmly standing because of the solid foundation.
Today, the foundation of our life becomes evident when we face various storms. As the winds howl and the rain batters, we discover what we have placed our trust and security in. The moments of storms may leave us in momentary ruins or strengthen our foundation. Yet, when we find the places of a sandy foundation, there is still hope. The hope exists because these moments offer the opportunity for us to repent, seek Jesus, and establish our life upon the rock instead of rebuilding on the sand. What foundations need adjustment in your life?
This blog is part of the Coffee and Quiet Time with Jesus Devotional Series found at equippingfaith.com. Join the journey of reading through the New Testament this year. More information can be found at equippingfaith.com.
