Part 1
Then I heard ‘I had gone on solid ground, Jesus My Rock…This My Rock
To make my write-up an easy read for All, I have decided to write this article as a two-part write-up: one part addresses the topic of ‘Jesus My Solid Foundation’ and the second part addresses ‘Jesus My Rock’.
As I started my quick Google research on this message, my first result of the search took me to The Parable of the Two Builders – Matthew 7:24-27.
Jesus My Solid Foundation
In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus states that those who hear His words AND do them are wise builders. They have built their homes on rock-solid foundations. The winds howl, the rains come – even a flood comes – but the house stands firm. However, those who hear His words, but fail to live by them are foolish builders. They may build the grandest of houses, but they sit on a shaky foundation.
What is This House We’re Building?
The author of the article I researched, explains the analogy used for a House. The “house” we are building is a metaphor for our whole lives. It represents our faith, our vocation or job, our relationships, our health, etc. Notice the entire house must rest on a solid foundation, not just a few parts. It’s very easy for us to compartmentalize our lives without even being aware of it. Instead of an organic whole, our lives look more like colourful pie charts with hard lines dividing the sections. And yet the house is supposed to be whole and contiguous. We tend to choose which of the pies Jesus Our Lord should be active in.
Being Selective of Jesus Can Be Dangerous
Certainly, the selected way we allow Jesus to play in our lives opens us to extreme danger which could be catastrophic sometimes. A solid foundation holds firm in every section of the house. But when we choose which area of our lives, we require Jesus to play His Firm Foundation role, we weaken our Foundation. Our Lives become like the House built by the foolish builders. When the storms hit the House, the house falls apart right in our faces.
Threats To Our House?
The author of the article looks at the different types of threats to the house. Let’s look back at our text (Matthew 7:24-27) – Jesus mentions three threats to our houses: rains, floods, and winds. What might these things look like in our everyday lives?
Rains
Rains can vary greatly – they can be a foggy drizzle that sucks the joy out of our day. They can be light – we may need an umbrella, but we can still go about our business. Or they can be out-and-out downpours that we can’t even see through, complete with terrifying thunder and lightning. Taken together these are the everyday troubles of life. Some troubles are small, persistent, and annoying. Some are more troublesome. And some storms are swift, unexpected, and overwhelming.
Floods
Floods are times when an all-out life-threatening disaster is coming at us: a catastrophic illness, the death of a loved one, a divorce, a job loss, financial ruin. We are in real danger of being swept off our feet and drowned.
Winds
Winds the author says are like “words.” Words that have great power to either build up or tear down. The words that beat against our houses are things like thoughtless remarks from a friend, a harsh rebuke from a boss or a family member, or a heartless, cowardly attack online by an internet troll. Or maybe worst of all, the negative, defeating self-talk we subject ourselves to all day long.
The Words of Jesus Empower Us
Jesus tells us that hearing and doing His words will empower us to withstand these forces. He promises that our houses will not fall. In the book of Luke, 6:48 (a parallel account of Jesus teaching this parable). Not only will our houses not be destroyed, but they also won’t even be shaken! Now that is a firm foundation!
Praise God Almighty, Praise Our Lord Jesus Christ, Praise The Holy Ghost.
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