Our Rock!

It’s safe to say that we have all heard the story of the wise and foolish builders. (Matthew 7:24-27 NIV) It’s an easy to grasp parable on how someone who hears the Word of God and puts it into practice is like a wise man who builds his house upon rocks. “The rain came down, the streams rose, and the wind blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” And the foolish man is one who hears His word but does not put it into practice. “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. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the wind blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” I know God is my Rock because as I continue to draw closer to Him, so much happens! I see my worries fade away, I witness (what I thought was) impossible become possible. Now when I see storms come I am fearless and grounded in faith, knowing that God is faithful and will guide me through it. I’ve begun to realise how everything changes with Jesus!

So we’ve understood how God is our Rock, our Foundation; He keeps us grounded no matter what storms come our way. But what is the sand in this parable? What is this unreliable foundation that can’t keep the metaphorical house standing during the storm? Something I have often heard is that you may interpret the Bible differently at different times. The way Matthew 7:24-27 speaks to me currently is like this: the sand is our flesh. I know, so pessimistic, right? But it’s true, the flesh is weak. The sand represents earthly desires. “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”(Galatians 5:19-21 NIV).

It sounds so hopeless, doesn’t it? Why would I write an entire message with no hope though? Earlier in this passage, in Galatians 5:16 it says, “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” Isn’t that amazing! When we walk with God and when the Holy Spirit resides in our hearts, we will not find things of the flesh appealing. The flesh is so dangerous. It leads us into temptation, but as long as we walk in the Spirit, we cannot be led into temptation. I believe that the desires of the flesh have been so normalised in today's culture. I believe that building upon sand is the norm, and that is so wrong. How do we walk in the Spirit then? A start is to cut out everything you know that is holding you back from a great relationship with God and dedicate bigger amounts of time to being in His word, praying and worshipping. I used to struggle with committing everything to God and I’m still working on it, but once you see your heart change, you won’t really want to go back! King Solomon said it best: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.” (Proverbs 4:23-24 NIV). I believe that today, society normalises lusts of the flesh; it takes someone who is willing to serve God over the world, to realise the blessing it is to know Christ and walk with Him.

An analogy that I constantly use is this: imagine you walk into Ikea and buy a shelf but you don’t know how to put it together. What do you do? You use the manual of course! The Bible is literally a guide to your life. It is important to spend time in God’s Word because sometimes we have the wrong idea of who God is - I know I did. When I started to read my Bible, just one chapter every day, it became clear to me who God is and revealed His endless love for me. He became my Foundation instead of the things of the world. So my parting words for you today are, stick with God, take some time away from the chaotic world we live in, and let your eyes look to Jesus. Know that just because everyone else does it, does not make it right. “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13 NIV). Seek Him and let Him be your Rock!