Standing on God’s promises is the result of building our life on a firm foundation. Matthew 7:24-25 reads, “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.”
Reading this passage, we can assume that the “house” is our life; our whole existence. The foundation and the rock are obviously Christ. To understand what this really means, it’s helpful to start with the basic definition of “foundation.”
According to the Oxford Dictionary, a “foundation” is the lowest load-bearing part of a building, typically below ground level. Put another way, the foundation is ground zero or the starting point: The Beginning.
. . . and . . .
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not . . . And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John 1:1-5, 14
Further: The foundation has already been laid. Jesus Christ is the foundation and no one can lay another, other foundation (1 Corinthians 3:11).
In order to build our house on the foundation, the “Rock”, we must listen to the words of Jesus and put them into practice.
Listening to God: In order to listen, we must be quiet and still, alone with Him. It is one thing to pray to God, to talk to Him. I think sometimes we forget that we have to stop talking and also listen. At the end of the “Amen”, it is not the time to forget the conversation. It’s actually the time to remember God has something to say; but if we are not present, we will miss His choice morsels: “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known” (Jeremiah 33:3).
It takes great patience to get quiet and still enough to hear His guidance, but the Bible tells us that we should “Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for Him….” (Psalm 37:7).
Once we hear him, we need the courage to put his words into practice. This goes for what he specifically tells us in addition to the wisdom we read in the Bible. We are to put it all into practice. Essentially, it comes down to doing His will through an actual personal relationship with him. As pointed out in Matthew 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
We are to build our house on God and in God, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91:1). The amazing part is that what we are truly doing with our thoughts, words and deeds in alignment with His will and His ways, is building a temple, for Him to dwell in us. “Jesus answered and said to him, ’If anyone loves Me, he will keep my word; and My father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him” (John 14:23). Only this firm foundation is worthy of Him.
by Jeanne Melberg
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