Jesus, Our Firm Foundation

Thought:

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into 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."

Matthew 7:24-25

Wind storms blew through my hometown last week tearing down power lines and damaging trees. I saw the utility company crew out cleaning up the damage and repairing downed power lines. As I walked, I noticed a beautiful old maple tree. It looked worn hard, yet once again it had withstood adverse conditions and thrived. What was different about this tree and the others that were damaged?

It reminds me of Jesus' parable found in Matthew 7:21-27. Jesus teaches the crowd around him about the man who built his house on the rock. The rain came, streams rose, and wind blew and beat against it, yet it withstood these stresses and didn't collapse. It is interesting that Jesus didn't promise a life without adversity. I find that many believers think that God's love means a stress-free life. That just isn't so. I don't see Jesus making that promise. If fact, he tells us to expect trouble. All kinds of trouble. But when we build our lives on Jesus and his truths we can withstand the challenges that life brings. We will be like this old maple tree which has seen thousands of storms yet continues to persevere and grow. It roots itself in very solid ground. It has a firm foundation. Jesus wants to provide this kind of foundation for you and me.

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