Shifting Foundation
July 1, 2023 2023-07-01 8:02Shifting Foundation
Revlee Shifting foundation.
Matthew 7:26
26 But 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. (NIV)
What is a house for? In our home, we are protected from the elements. There is no shifting foundation. We avoid the heat and the cold. We spend time with family and friends. We rest. We belong.
To be homeless is to be without these and more. Chaotic movements unsure of the next, loneliness, and anxiety characterize homelessness. When we consider having a home compared to not, which would you choose? Imagine having a choice between the safety, security, comfort, and communion of a home and the dangers of the street. It wouldn’t be a choice at all. Yet, this is the choice we make every day when we purposely go against the teachings of Christ.
When the Lord is asking us to forgive, we don’t have in our mind the danger unforgiveness presents to our spiritual safety, relational health, or life path. We are consumed with the hurt. When the Lord asks us to honor Him with our wealth, we are consumed with the bills we need to pay or the new car we want.
Our passage today reminds us that disobedience affects far more than momentary temptation. Each decision shifts the foundation of our life so slightly it may not be noticed. But little by little, rebellion leaves us unprotected in the storms. When tough times come, the disobedience that seemed to have little effect at the moment has removed our resolve. Our faith is not firm.
The word ‘foolish’ comes from an original word meaning ‘hidden.’ Disobedience hides the wisdom of God. The thing about building a house upon the sand is that it is not a surprise. It is not the same as moving into a house built on sand covered by grass. Disobedience is seeing the sand from the very beginning through the entire process of construction. It is foolishness.
The opposite must also be true. Obedience opens our minds to the wisdom of God not just for the moment, but in all things. The Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. If obedience just for the sake of avoiding the consequences of disobedience brings wisdom, how much more when we delight in the laws of God? Wisdom for parenting, marriage, business, and worldly affairs increases with each choice to follow God’s Word.
Prayer: Lord, speak loudly to me at the moment to remember each decision affects my whole life. Amen.
