May 26

The Safe Foundation

Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock — Matt 7:24

All turns on the doing or not doing of Christ’s words. Both these men heard the words, but one of them obeyed as well, and thus built on the true and immovable foundation. Both men built houses very much alike so far as the superstructures were concerned. But there were two kinds of ground. There was a valley, which was dry and pleasant in the summer days when the men were looking for building sites. Then there were high rocky bluffs. One man decided to build in the valley. It would cost less. It would be easy digging. It was more convenient, for the bluffs were inaccessible. the other man built on the high ground. It would cost more, but it would be safer.

The two homes went up simultaneously, only the one in the valley was finished long before the other was. The families moved into their new residences, and were quite happy for a time. But one night there was a storm. The house in the valley was carried away with its dwellers; the house on the bluff was unharmed.

The pictures explain themselves. He who built in the valley is the man who has only knowledge and profession, but who really has never built on Christ as a foundation. the other man, who built on a rock, is the man who has true faith in Christ, confirmed by loving obedience. The storms that burst are earth‘s trials which test every life, and then the tempests of death and judgment. The mere professor of religion is swept away in these storms, for he has only sand under him; he who is truly in Christ is secure, for no storm can reach Christ’s bosom. It will be a terrible thing to cherish a false hope of salvation through life, and only find out in eternity, too late to build again, that we have no foundation under our hopes.