Storms of Life

You know I just love our assistant pastor; he really in such a caring way stretches me. He many times asks me what is God teaching you? And you know recently I believe God has been leading me to a certain passage in Matthew.

It is a famous passage; one that points out the differences of being religious and trusting Christ; one that is used to help understand maturing as a Christian; and it is a passage that keeps coming before me. So as this happens I now ask myself what is God teaching me. This passage is the final parable and the final portion of the Sermon on the Mount. The sermon where Christ Himself teaches us things like turn the other Cheek, be salt and light, forgive one another, Do not judge and do not worry. This is the parable of The Wise and Foolish Builders; this is our Lord and Savior speaking;

24"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. 25The 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. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

What can we take from this parable? I see a truth; a path; a divine lesson on how to weather the Storms of Life! Quickly unpacking this passage I see two key points; first I see the contrasting foundations of this passage. Can you see that one foundation was rock solid and deep while the other was shallow and weak? Can you see that one foundation has no real substance, is centered on worldly ideals, might even look good, but is it really built to last? The other foundation is Christ centered, grounded by the Gospel and with an eternal hope.

In the storms of life which house would you want to be in? You really have to think about that and I challenge each of you to really ask yourselves what has been built in your life? Are we as believers on that foundation of Rock; that foundation laid by Christ? Romans 8:31 tells us “If God is for us, who can be against us!”

And that brings us to our second point; kind of an amazing thing that I’ve got to confess has only recently become clear, as we read the parable did you notice even those well built houses; the houses built on rock were not exempt from the storms of life. We see this in verse 25; 25The 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. Christians, as believers we are not exempt from storms! Look around, there are those that have suffered mightily. Do you know anyone who has weathered an economic storm, a health storm and emotional storm? But,you know what; when we are grounded by faith we are able to weather those storms. Was Christ; our Lord and Savior exempt from storms?

So Friends, no matter the condition; no matter the news before us, there is great hope this day. When our foundation is centered on Christ and solidly built on the eternal Word of God we are grounded, we are anchored, we are secured and we can weather any of life’s storms. With the right foundation we will survive the storms of life. When we recognize that our strength comes from the Lord, when we trust in the Lord and not ourselves, when we focus not on the struggle, but on the future hope provided by Christ; when we in times of storm we turn to Christ knowing he will rescue, save, restore, our foundation is solid.

In John 16:33 Christ says; I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

Today, right now, this very minute, no matter the storm in front of us; may we all take heart!

Grace and Peace!