Jesus' words build a stable foundation

His words don't come from our world. Our world came from his words.

May 12, 2011

Matthew 7:24–29 (NIV) states, "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.





When I read this passage this week, I thought about the earthquake in Japan, the tornados in Gloucester and Alabama and the flooding in Memphis.

I was in Haiti just seven days after the earthquake and witnessed the flattened buildings, piles of rubble and people sleeping in the streets for fear of being under a roof.

Many of the buildings were poorly built and the result was evident.

Any structure can hold up under average conditions, but substandard construction gives way more readily when disaster hits.

Our world is replete with destructive forces. There are so many things that tear down houses, lives and dreams, but very few that keep them from being swept away.

Jesus tells us the secret of constructing our personal dwelling space to withstand earth's extreme conditions. He promises every obedient follower a strong foundation on which to build a sturdy shelter from life's storms. He says the secret is in what the foundation is connected to under the surface.

The foundation of a home is the most vital, but often overlooked, element when people look to purchase a home. They look for bedrooms and bathrooms, hardwood and tile, decks and views.

The foundation barely gets a mention.

Yet, if the foundation was poorly laid, nothing else matters in a storm.

Jesus can promise a stable foundation because His words come from somewhere deep beneath the surface of our world.

In fact, His words are the source of our world. It can be said this way: His words don't come from our world. Our world came from His words.


Paul told the Colossians (1:6-17), "All things were created by him and for him. He is before all things and in him all things hold together."

Who else can promise that their house can withstand any and all storms that this world can contrive? Who would make such a fantastic statement?

Only the one who spoke words and brought the earth into being.

This is why the people who heard his words compared them with the teachers of the law and realized that Jesus' words had authority, while their teachers' words didn't. Who would you rather listen to?

Now is the time to check the foundation of your life.

Stability doesn't come from a great job or a fat bank account.

Stability isn't found in a retirement account or a man or woman in office. Those foundations aren't deep enough to withstand storms.

Stability comes in the words of Jesus, heard, heeded and habitually lived out.

Let his words be the source of your personal dwelling space. It's the most stable foundation on earth today.

Ken Cramer is senior pastor of Lighthouse Worship Center in Gloucester

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