TODAY’S INSPIRATION: UNSHAKABLE!

I remember my mother would say, “always start something the way you want to finish it. She would say you can’t start on shaky ground and expect it to hold up. At the time she was referring to relationships. I didn’t get it then, but now it makes sense. And not just relationships, it applies to all areas in our lives. The foundation matters! Especially when it comes to our faith. You don’t build a house and hope when the storm comes it will not fall, you build the house to withstand the storms. The same applies to our faith. You don’t wait until a crisis to call on Jesus, we must pray and stay close to Him before the crisis. It is better to stay ready than to have to get ready!  

“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)

Jesus Christ frequently illustrated His teachings with parables. Jesus described two men who each built a house (Matthew 7:24-27). Jesus said one man was wise and the other was foolish. The man who made the better decision about where to build was a wise builder because he chose the rock as his foundation. I’m sure it was a challenge to build on rocky ground. It probably took some time, patience, and hard work. But the wise man believed it would be worth the effort. On the other hand, the foolish builder didn’t consider the foundation to be important. He may have thought it would take too long and building on the sandy soil would be easier. When a storm came, the house built into the rock survived the downpour, but the house on the sand was destroyed. Jesus stated, “And great was its fall.” Jesus was illustrating that we can live wisely or foolishly. It all depends on where we lay our foundation. How do we become unshakable in a world that’s shaking? It is important to build our spiritual foundation by having a relationship with Jesus. Jesus said that if we obey His word and follow Him, we will be like the wise builder. His teachings are sound principles about how to live successfully. Our only hope is in our Lord and Savior. We will be unshakable!

“I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.” (Luke 6:47-49) NLT

We know that the Lord is not only our redeemer, but in Him we have a rock-solid foundation. He is our rock! Our foundation is strong when we have a relationship with Jesus and stand on His Word. Scripture tells us that no weapon formed against us will prosper. The world may be sinking, but we won’t sink with it when we are standing on solid ground. As followers of Christ, our spiritual foundation is vital to our life, both here on earth and in eternity. Jesus offers a solid foundation for our lives, our families, our friendships, our associates, and our future. In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus tells us that those who hear His words AND do them are wise builders. He states that they have built their homes on rock-solid foundations. We are the house Jesus is referring to. The winds howl, the rains come, even floods come, but we will still stands firm. Jesus says that those who hear His words but fail to live by them are foolish builders. With a strong spiritual foundation, we can focus on what is really important, our relationship with Christ. This strong foundation can support us in creating a new vision to see what opportunities are ahead, rather than hanging on to our fears and anxieties about change and what the future may hold, because we know Who holds our future! Love and Blessings…

“The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.” (Psalm 18:2)