Rebuilding On The Rock

In the hardest time of my life, I remember getting to the point of breaking. I was at the point of giving up when I told the Lord I couldn’t do it anymore. In that moment, I saw a picture of myself laying on a foundation in the rain. There was debris all around from a house that had been destroyed. The Lord said, “The house you built didn’t survive the storm, but your foundation is strong. This time I want you to build your life my way.” I could have been mad at the storm that took everything, but instead I realized all the storm did was expose the weaknesses of the house I had built. I was the one who had centered my life on the wrong things. It wasn’t the storm’s fault everything was destroyed. It was mine.

In Matthew 7:24-25 Jesus said, “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock” (NLT). He then said those who listen but don’t apply what He teaches are building on sand. When the storms come, the house will be destroyed. Again, it wasn’t the storm’s fault the house was built on the sand. It was the person who listens to sermons, Bible teaching and sound doctrine, but doesn’t apply it. You don’t get to pick and choose what you like in the Bible. If you do, the storms will expose the weaknesses in what you’ve built. On the other hand, if you apply what it teaches, it can survive any storm because they also expose strength.

1 Peter 1:7 says, “These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” Your faith is going to be tested and exposed throughout your life. God doesn’t do it to make fun of you, to embarrass you or to hurt you. He doesn’t it because only what’s done for Him will last. The storms will show what parts of your faith and life are genuine and which parts aren’t. When you get the chance to rebuild, do it the right way.

Photo by Josh Olalde on Unsplash