STORMS

 

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. Matthew 7:24

 

Many of us are recovering from the effects of bad weather, especially our friends in the Carolinas. But there are other forms of stormy weather that impact our lives. Just now in my circle of family and friends, one young mother is worrying about the leak in their roof not covered by insurance and with no funds set aside for repairs. Another family has been stunned by the tragic death of their young son. Several friends have been dealing with serious illnesses. A very dear elderly lady is losing both sight and hearing, and her children live in other states. And there are others…
Jesus told the story of two men who built houses—one on sand and one on rock. The storm approached and hit both houses. Jesus said that both houses experienced the same assault: “The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house” (Matthew 7:25, 27). Yet, the house that was built on a solid foundation, when it was all over, was still standing.
We build our lives and our families over the course of many years. As believers, we integrate the Word into everything we do, making certain that all our life assumptions are founded on the Rock, Jesus Christ. And then, drawing on the power of the Holy Spirit, we discipline ourselves to be doers of the Word and not just professors.
Does this mean that we don’t feel the effects of the storm? That we don’t suffer along with the sand-builders? Absolutely not. It does mean, however, that when the storm passes—and it will pass—we will not have been destroyed. Our confidence and our faith will not have been shaken. We may have lost some shingles and a bit of siding, but we are still standing in trust, grateful for God’s presence, and secure in his love.
Paul addresses this beautifully: “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed (II Corinthians 4:8, 9).
Storms come, the streams rise, and the winds blow, but when it’s all over—through God’s grace—we will still be standing.

 

Father, none of us likes storms, but they’re a part of life. Keep us obedient and true to you so that when it’s all said and done, we will be standing, glorifying you. In Jesus’ name. AMEN.