Build Your House on a Rock

Matthew 7:24-27

I grew up singing: The Wise Man Built His House. Here's an abridged version of it.


The wise man built his house upon the rock
And the rain came tumbling down

Oh, the rain came down
And the floods came up
The rain came down
And the floods came up
And the wise man's house stood firm.

The foolish man built his house upon the sand
The foolish man built his house upon the sand
And the rain came tumbling down

Oh, the rain came down
And the floods came up
The rain came down
And the floods came up
And the foolish man's house went "splat!"

I love this song and I love the parable that it is based on. The wisdom is so simple: build your house on something solid, recognize that floods do come and be ready for them.

I've mentioned in my other blog that I'm in a very ordinary season of my life. Now is the time for me to be building my life on a strong foundation. How do I do that? Jesus introduction to the parable sums it up well, "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock" (Matthew 7:24).

I need to look for ways to put God's word into practice. I look for ways to store God's word in my memory. I think Fernando Ortega's song Lord of Eternity sums it up well:

Blessed is the man
Who walks in Your favor
Who loves all Your words
And hides them like treasure
In the darkest place
Of his desperate heart
They are a light
A strong sure light.

If I spend this time putting God's word in my life and learning to practice it well, those words become a strong foundation and a sure light when life's storms roll in.