Building On A Rock

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” Matthew 7:24-27

Living in Sitka, Alaska on a semi-sheltered harbor, many houses are built high up on little islands. There is not much sand here. Back at home, many houses are built right up against the sand dunes, and though some have weathered many storms, the newer ones still await their testing. There is a foolishness that can come with wealth, a need to have the best location and the best view, weather and water be damned. The people who love the land and place they come from and live to honor and preserve it, listen carefully to the wind and the weather and heed the warnings that will keep them and their families alive.

Jesus has spent a good deal of time instructing his disciples on their life in faith. He was keenly aware of how easily we humans can veer off course, caught up with the shifting sands of fashion and trends. We can be drawn away from our foundations and think we can do fine on our own. God knows how fickle we can be and how changeable the world is. There are always storms on the horizon.
We are encouraged today to not look for the most appealing view but rather to sink deep into the rock, holding onto the solid foundation we have been given in God's love and faithfulness.

Today I ask God to help me stay tied to the rock. May we build from the solid base of God's love and compassion, and avoid the fashion and frivolity of our age. May we be given the strength to endure the storms of life as we cling to the solid words of love that are ours from God today.