A Strong Foundation

"So why do you call me 'Lord' when you won't obey me? But all those who come and listen and obey me are like a man who builds a house on a strong foundation laid upon the underlying rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against the house, it stands firm, for it is strongly built.

"But those who listen and don't obey are like a man who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it crumbles into a heap of ruins." Luke 6: 46-49 (TLB)

And no one can ever lay any other real foundation than that one we already have - Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:11 (TLB)

Mary B. Erva lives in Michigan. When her husband began building their house, Mary was eager to help. He gave her the job of mixing the mortar for the basement block he was laying. Mortar is a paste which hardens to fill the gaps between blocks and to bind them together. Her husband, who has made mortar many times, told Mary to combine three shovelfuls of sand, one shovelful of mortar mix, a little bit of cement, and about half a pail of water. After hearing the mixing instructions, Mary had questions; How big is a shovelful? How much is a little bit? Mary had not practiced making the mortar, and she was worried that it wouldn't be strong enough to hold together the foundation of their home.

Our lives also need a strong foundation, and Jesus is that foundation. In today's scripture reading, Jesus instructs his followers not only to hear his words but to act on them. Through practice, he says, his followers would be like a wise man that built his foundation on a rock. Without practice, our faith can be shaken when trouble comes. Prayer, Bible study, serving God, and being part of a Christian community are all practices that can help us to build, repair, and maintain a strong spiritual foundation. With a strong spiritual foundation, we will be able to stand firm during the tests and trials of life.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for Jesus, our rock and our strong foundation. we pray in His name. Amen.