Strength in the Storm

"All who listen to my instructions and follow them are wise, like a man who builds his house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents, and the floods rise and the storm winds beat against his house, it won't collapse, for it is built on rock.

"But those who hear my instructions and ignore them are foolish, like a man who builds his house on sand. For when the rains and floods come, and storm winds beat against his house, it will fall with a mighty crash."

The crowds were amazed at Jesus' sermons, for he taught as one who had great authority, and not as their Jewish leaders. Matthew 7:24-29 (TLB)

Valerie Clark lives in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Where she lives, they have had a very wet summer with some violent thunderstorms. The rain has been relentless, trees have been uprooted, and rivers are swollen and overflowing. During one storm water gushed under the back door of their home. This made Valerie think of Jesus

story about the two men who each built a house: one on sand and one on rock.

No doubt the sky was clear and bright when the first man built his house on sand. He wasn't contemplating any storms. The other man considered that storms must inevitably come to all of us, so he built his house on the rock. When the first storm came, the house on sand collapsed, while the one on the rock withstood the weather.

If we keep spiritually strong by reading the Bible, praying, engaging in spiritual practices, and worshiping with fellow believers in Christ, we can recover from adverse circumstances more easily. When our lives are grounded and firmly set on the Rock and his teachings, we can weather the storms that come our way.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us faithfully to build our lives on you and what you are teaching us. Help us to be bold in our witness and to stand strong with you, in Jesus' name. Amen.