If you went to Sunday School in the 80’s do you remember the song …
“Don’t build your house on the sandy land
Don’t build it too near the shore
Oh it might be kind of nice
But you’ll have to do it twice
And you’ll have to build your house once more
You better build your house upon the rock
And put a sure foundation on the solid spot
And though the storms may come and go
Peace of God you’ll know.”
If that’s too modern for you … think about the song : “The wise man built his house upon a rock … ” 🙂
Way back when, when I sang the above songs as a child and teenager, I used to wonder why people would build their houses on the sand when I couldn’t even get my sandcastle to stay standing up. A few years ago, I decided to go do some research to find out what Jesus was referring to when He talked about people building their house on the sand.
Apparently what was referred to in that passage in Matthew’s gospel (7:24-26) was sandstone. Sandstone forms to look like hard, though often flat, rock and you can dig deep to get what might appear to be a perfect foundation – rock solid.
However, over time, (and we’re talking years) rain softens the stone and without notice one day, the foundation will collapse and the house will literally fall flat. And, because the house collapses from the very foundation, you can imagine the magnitude of the damage as the house just collapses and hence the reason Jesus says “and great will be the fall.”
Notice my point above, that it could take years for the rain to penetrate the sandstone foundation but that the fall of the house is sudden – no warning, no subsidence, just BAM!
I would suggest that too many believers would wager with anyone that they’re building their lives, business, homes on the solid rock of Christ, but, I think we only have to look at the state of the Body of Christ and ask, “are we really?”
How many of us are driven by religious activities rather than the grace of God – we think that by “doing” things, we earn God’s blessing and love.
How many of us think the louder we shout when we pray, the more likely our prayers are going to be heard.
How many of us are “waiting” for our healing instead of confessing the truth that by the stripes of Jesus we were (past tense) healed – and then receive it by faith.
How many of us are “waiting” for God to move His hand without really understanding that the redemptive work of Salvation was already done through Christ on the cross therefore, by faith, we appropriate what God has already done through His grace.
Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it ~ Psalm 127:1
Disagree with me if wish, but I think there is far too much activity right now in the Body of Christ without any corresponding manifestation, and the world is waiting to see the glory of God.
I think it’s time for us to revisit our foundation so that whatever we build – our home, our business, our lives, we are building them on Christ the solid rock and not a replica of the real thing.
Jesus really has already finished the work and faith in His finished works brings us into alignment with all He’s accomplished on our behalf.
So really, why would we try to imitate The Blessing by copying the world when we already have the real thing.
Let’s stop the toiling and strive to get realigned.
Blessings,
