Firm Foundation

The Wise and Foolish Builders

"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."

~Luke 6:46-49

Practically, I think I only came to understand this passage in its entirety this week. I read this as part of my daily Bible readings last Tuesday night, just after I'd learnt that my father would have a triple bypass heart surgery the next morning.

For almost as long as I can remember I have 'heard Jesus words and put them into practise'... sure I've failed heaps of times, but all in all the main focus of my life has been to live for Christ, follow his teachings and strive to have a relationship with him.

Over the past semester at college, I've learnt so much more academically about the Christian faith, and in a way I think it made me a tad complacent and tough to the relationship side of my faith. I haven't had the best time relating with other people or God himself as I gained all the head knowledge, but couldn't convert it into my true relationship with God.

However during this week as a huge 'flood' came to wash me away, it was the foundation of Jesus on which I have been building for so long that kept me standing. The flood waters came, and this passage doesn't say they don't damage the house, you'd have to imagine they would (think of the recent flooding in Brisbane, the houses withstood the water, but the land around and parts inside were still damaged), but they can't destroy it. And in a way it's been the same for me this week... I've still had damaged emotions, my world was shaken upside down, but through it all I was not destroyed.

In every moment of this week I have known my God, and in everything that was happening his hand was covering it. If that meant Dad would return home to him then that wouldn't crack my foundation - because Jesus gives us more than an earthly perspective - he gives us an eternal perspective.

Then Sunday night on my way home from church I saw a man crash into a sign post on his scooter - it flicked him off and he crashed to the ground unconscious. I pulled over and with the help of an off duty police officer we cared for the guy until paramedics arrived. Ends up the guy was drunk, and not seriously hurt, but he was still incoherent when the ambulance left 30 minutes later. Even during this quite chaotic and suddenly intense time I knew God was working - there had been no cars around for ages and I just happened to be there right as this guy had his crash and he was flicked off to the side of the road so people would not have seen him if I hadn't of actually seen the crash. God was looking after this bloke, even in his stupidity of riding a scooter drunk.

What's God done in your life to be looking out for you lately? And do you have a strong enough foundation to withhold a flood?