The Firm Foundation

God makes no promises that we will avoid storms in our lives, just that when they inevitably hit us He will be our strength.

I purposely chose the photo for this entry due to the fact that it contained both a house built upon rock AND a lighthouse. Consider the following scripture passage:

“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.” Matt 7:24-27 (Emphasis mine)

Many good and gracious people have mentioned on several occasions that Deb and I have handled the passing of Jacob very well. Words like “strong”and “solid” have been used to describe us. We are incredibly thankful for the support those words bring to us. I  feel as though I don’t convey our sentiments to our friends often enough.

Those words also bring to mind the image of the house built upon rock. Undoubtedly, faith in our Lord has held us firm throughout many stressful incidents; and our time with Jacob was no different. The strength that appeared through us was not our own, I assure you. So many times – more than I can count – we felt like breaking down. A dash to the restroom during a church service, temporarily disappearing at a party, or excusing ourselves from a meeting, have taken place on occasion. Yet through it all, we felt assured of grace of God given to us.

That is where the temptation sets in. Like waking up on a cold morning under a warm comforter in a cozy bed, we often lack the desire to get on with the purpose God has for us. We settle for the strength given to us and feel oddly satisfied that we have persevered the trial. And so Christ’s words “and does them” becomes an important part of our walk with Him. Note well that simply “hearing” His words is not enough; we must follow through and “do them.”

Look at the image above one more time. Next to the house built upon the rock is a light house. Jesus tells us that “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matt 5:14) What good is it to gather knowledge if we fail to produce a yield from it? Can you imagine the owner of the home on the rock simply enjoying the view… of boats continually crashing into the shore in front of him? Certainly not.

Our firm foundation does not come about simply by learning about God’s desire for us, but by truly living it. This news is too good to keep to ourselves, and we indeed do ourselves damage if we fail to do the things God would have us do. We cannot simply say “I am firm in my faith because I study God’s word daily!” If we stop there, we short ourselves of the full complement of the blessings He has in store for us – and others around us.

Today, join me in committing to be a lighthouse by engaging in at least one simple act of love to another person. A simple word of encouragement, a helping hand, a kind word, a needed embrace. The proper method will reveal itself to you if you open your heart to the one in need. Do It Now. Don’t be foolish.