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| Sorry, not mine... |
Hi, my name is Vicky and I am still a child. Not really, but I still like to ride grocery carts at stores, make mud pies (actually mud pottery) in the dirt, and build sandcastles on the beach. Often I will spend hours on my castle, putting on turrets and sand bricks, digging the mandatory trench, adding a drawbridge and decorating with rocks and feathers. It is a relaxing time of creativity that I enjoy on my own or with capable assistance. One thing I always do is build it a couple feet from the water knowing that the tide will take it away. It reminds me of the frailty of life. (My kids think I'm nuts to do that after all the work...)
Yesterday in church we sang that old hymn that says, "On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand." After the song, one person spoke specifics about the Rock that made me think of those words differently: the Rock of His grace, the Rock of His love, the Rock of His mercy... I guess I always thought of Him being the Rock, and He is, but He is the Word (Jh. 1) and His Word is sure and true as is who He is and what He does. All that encompasses Him is the most sure 'thing' in the universe, the only 'thing' that can be counted on 100% of the time. He IS the Rock.
Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on a rock. And the rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house. And it did not fall, for it was founded on a rock.
And everyone who hears these sayings of Mine and does not do them shall be compared to a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain came down, and the floods came, and the wind blew and beat on that house. And it fell, and great was its fall. Mt. 7:24-27
Because of who He is and who we are in Him, we are built on Him, His mercy, grace and love for they are as sure a part of Him. Other people will give these things when they want to or chose to, but they can fail because of feelings, stress, thoughtlessness, or other issues. We can try to build our lives on other people, spouses, children, friends, but those foundations are as uncertain as sand. Jobs are lost, possessions break, rust, and fail to work, nature lets us down, organizations fail their purposes, but Jesus never fails us, "He will not fail you nor forsake you." (Dt. 31:6)
How wonderful to think that if we build our house on Him, our solid Rock, that we will continue to stand for our foundation is strong. And because of that, we know His love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, help, strength, justice, compassion, life, hope, peace, joy, basically all the good that is Him, is ours IN Him. It is to be counted on, 100%.
See, we are also promised troubles in this life, "...In the world you shall have tribulation..." (Jh. 16:33) and by experience, we know it is so. If we are built on sand, 'things' other than Jesus, when the storms of life hit, they will erode the ground beneath us leaving sink holes into which we will sink. Many a person has lost their real house to a rock slide, crumbling cliff, earth erosion, or other natural disasters; it is the same with us, God's dwelling place. "Jesus answered and said to him, If a man loves Me, he will keep My Word. And My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him." (Jh. 14:23) So our houses, even in the storms of life, can remain standing, as long as they are first built upon the Rock- the Lord Jesus Christ.
For any other foundation can no one lay than the one being laid,
who is Jesus Christ.
1Cr. 3:11
Only with Him as our foundation can we continue to stand!
