Read: Matthew 7:24-27
The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. (v. 25)
In October 2013, a nor’easter blew in torrential rains, leaving my home devastated by the wind and rain that penetrated the roof and poured through the ceilings. In the following months as contractors repaired the damage, God transformed me from the inside out. As the repairs stripped away the old things and revealed the structure of my home, it also revealed my structure, and though both needed changes, thankfully both foundations were sound.
In today’s lesson, Jesus teaches the significance of a firm foundation by describing two houses. They are metaphors for two kinds of lives: one built on the solid foundation of a relationship with Jesus, the other built on the shifting sands of the world. The rains of depression, fearfulness, and loneliness fall. The floods of deteriorating health and relational brokenness come. The winds of financial struggles and loss blow. Storms of suffering beat on our lives.
No matter what it may feel like, God has not abandoned you in the storm—you have Christ’s promise that a life built upon him will weather life’s storms. As we face hardships, we must remember that our Savior is the solid rock of our foundation, and if we’re deeply rooted in him, even the scariest situations cannot shake us.
As you pray, ask God to remind you to continually build your foundation on him.
Ariana D. Den Bleyker is a Pittsburgh native currently residing in New York’s Hudson Valley. She is the author of two devotional poetry collections,To Be Held by the Lightand Waking in the Light. She is an ordained deacon in the Reformed Church of America.
