The words of Jesus in Matthew 7:24-27: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them in to practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
I love these trees. They are located in Blackwater Falls State Park, in West Virginia, and every summer for 7 years now, we go to the Falls and visit these trees on the way back up the trail.
They are growing. They are even thriving. They are standing firm. And they are standing on top of a rock.
My mom’s friend posted a picture like this on Facebook and said, “There’s a sermon in this picture.” I wholeheartedly agree.
Unless you’re building a house or doing a job that requires you to think about this, you probably don’t give foundations much thought. However, without one, everything will collapse, from buildings to bridges…and also people.
How is your foundation doing? I’m not talking about the foundation of your house, but rather of your life. As a Christian, your life should be built on the foundation of Jesus. It is so important for us to take a step back and remember where we are planted.
On this trip to Blackwater Falls, we saw a number of other trees that were down from recent storms. But these trees were still standing just fine, even though they stood on the rocks. When the storms of life come, are you planted on a rock that can withstand the tempest? Or do you find yourself blowing over when times get hard?
Psalm 18:31 says, “For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?”
Other places in the Psalms also call God our Rock. He is a strong place we can stand on. And in order to do Everyday Ministry, we need that kind of a foundation to stand upon. You know as well as I do from daily experience that life isn’t a picnic. Just when you think you have caught your breath and gotten your act back together, suddenly the rug is pulled out from underneath you and wham, down you go again. But when you’re planted on the Rock, it’s a lot harder for life to ruffle your feathers. When you are secure and firm, you can keep standing, keep reaching out to those around you, keep on doing what you are called to do even in the midst of life’s storms.
When you find yourself faltering, go back to your roots, to your foundation. Go back to Jesus, remember who He is and that is, as Psalm 18:2 says, “…my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” When you are planted on the rock, your house can withstand anything life throws at you.
Dig deep. Grow strong. Be blessed.
~Lynne
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