Building a Foundation

Read This: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own estimation; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.” Proverbs 3:5-7

Think: Would you think twice about buying a house that had cracks in the foundation? Probably so, and yet it can be so easy to invest our lives and build our families on aspirations that have no eternal value. We lose focus on the things God tells us are important and begin prioritizing things that will ultimately distract us from God and our true purpose.

In Luke chapter six Jesus has been teaching to the apostles and a great multitude of people who had come to hear and be healed. He’s taught the beatitudes, woes to the rich, to love your enemies, and not judge others. This isn’t an easy message to hear and as convicting today as it was then. He ends this difficult teaching saying, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do what I tell you?” (vs. 46) He says the man who does what he says is like the man building a house who dug deep and laid the foundation on rock. And when the stream broke against the house it was not shaken. But those who hear his words and don’t follow them are like the man who built his house without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, “immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great” (vs. 49).

So many times we get caught in the trap of thinking that our ways are better than God’s. Or we can do things half God’s way and half our own. Of course, we might never say that out loud, but it comes across in how we live our lives. We measure our security by promotions at work, a big house, good cars, good clothes, and for our children good grades, popularity, and athleticism. These aren’t always bad things, but they aren’t lasting things either. We may seem rock solid on the outside, but any number of things could rip these out from under our feet. What are we left with then?

Truly when we use God’s blueprint as we build our lives, we build something that can never be taken away. We understand our identity and purpose are firmly set on the Rock of Ages. And if we lose our money, our health, or our loved ones, our foundation doesn’t move but carries us through.

Ask: Read back through Luke chapter 6. Are you like the man who calls “Lord, Lord” but doesn’t obey his teaching? In what ways have you compromised your foundation?

Pray: James 1:5 says, “But if anyone is deficient in wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without reprimand, and it will be given to him.” Ask God for wisdom as you seek to honor and obey him in every aspect of your life. Pray that he will strengthen your foundation and “let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven” (Mat 5:16).