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May 26
The Safe Foundation
Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. — Matt 7:24 BSB
Everything depends on whether or not we put Christ’s words into practice. Both of these men heard His words, but only one obeyed, building on a true and solid foundation. Both men built houses that appeared similar from the outside, but the foundations were very different. There was a valley, dry and pleasant during summer when the men were choosing their building sites, and there were high, rocky bluffs. One man chose to build in the valley because it was cheaper, easier to dig, and more convenient. The other man built on the higher ground, even though it cost more, because he knew it would be safer.
The two houses went up at the same time, but the one in the valley was completed much faster. The families moved in and enjoyed their new homes for a while. But one night, a storm came. The house in the valley was destroyed along with its inhabitants, while the house on the bluff stood firm.
The meaning of this parable is clear. The man who built in the valley represents those who hear Christ’s words but don’t truly build their lives on Him. The man who built on the rock represents those with genuine faith, confirmed by loving obedience. The storms are life’s trials and the ultimate tests of death and judgment. Those who only profess religion without a solid foundation will be swept away, while those who truly belong to Christ will remain secure. It’s a terrifying thought to live with a false sense of salvation, only to discover too late, in eternity, that we have no foundation beneath our hopes.