Laying a strong foundation

The worst natural disaster damage I ever witnessed came from flooding in Eastern Kentucky a few years back.

One day, consecutive thunderstorms unleashed 4 inches of water in a short period of time over the same exact areas.  The results were catastrophic.  Creeks burst out of their beds, creating a massive, flowing wall of water that simply erased the landscape. 

I remember driving down the road in the aftermath.  On the right hand side, piled up against a grove of trees, mobile homes sat stacked on each other, as if a giant hand swept them all into the woods.  Those living structures were no longer inhabitable.  Eventually, they were removed and sold for scrap.

Those mobile homes had no solid foundation.  They sat on concrete slabs, but had nothing anchoring them to the ground.  When the water came, they becamse easy targets to be swept away in the roaring flood waters.  Nothing held them in place, so they became a huge pile next to the woods.

Jesus used that analogy in Matthew 7:24-27.  He compared two men and two buildings.  One dug in, found rock and anchored his house with a firm foundation.  The other just built his house on the sand, giving no thought to foundation at all.  When the storm hit, the house with a foundation remained.  The house without a foundation was swept away and destroyed.

Jesus used these stories to teach spiritual truths.  He warns his followers that if you don't follow and obey the words of Jesus, your foundation will be weak.  When storms come - a job loss, an illness, a death or a divorce - your faith will be shattered because it was only built on sand.  But if you follow his words and embrace his teachings, you can survive whatever life throws at you.

I've found this true in my own life.  There were many times I just wanted to throw in the towel.  My parents got divorced just before my wedding.  I felt hurt and abandoned.  I dealt with viscious rumors about me and my family.  I felt alone.  My father-in-law passed away suddenly a few years ago.  I felt helpless.

But in all those circumstances, I trusted in Christ.  I knew tomorrow would be better because Jesus anchored my faith.  When Jesus is your foundation, you can survive the wind and the rain and the floods because Jesus never leaves your side.

A strong foundation for a house allows it to endure.  It still gets battered and beaten and worn, but it stays because of the foundation.  Life still hurts, but with Jesus, you can endure.