  
|
In Luke 6:46-49 Jesus said, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?Whosoever cometh to me and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:He is like a man which built a house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and it could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built a house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.” One of the most important things the Lord does in our life is show us how to develop a foundation.He knows that if we hear what He says and if we do what he says, we will have a life that cannot be shaken.We will have a life that is built on the foundation principles of the Word of God.This truth that He taught here shows us that it really isn’t’ the storms of life that wash people away, but the lack of a solid foundation.Everyone has had opportunities to fail, quit, stop, turn around, and abandon the truth in life.Now if your life is in a storm right now, it will be more difficult to build your foundation, but it can be done.So get ready to start! Now, what is a foundation? These are the basic principles of your life that you live and operate by. For a child of God, it is what you really believe about your God. These are the truths that your decisions stem from. For example, when pressure is on you in a certain situation to tell a lie, do you reach to the Word of God in you that says, “Lie not one to another, and speak the truth in love?” Then you immediately tell the truth because you know it is right. That’s what I’m talking about. You see, everyone wants to build their house (life). The problem is that many don’t want to take the time to dig deep as Jesus said and lay a solid foundation. They just start living, all the while hoping life will be good and nothing too bad happens. However, the storms do come. Our lives must be based on the unshakable principles of the Word of God in order for us to have the power of God available for us to succeed. A few years back we needed more room here at the church and more parking. We got ready and called the concrete people. The morning they were supposed to start, I had an early appointment and couldn’t be there when they began pouring. When I did arrive, the concrete foreman wasn’t on location, but his crew was. The first thing I noticed was that one man was standing there with a water hose holding it in the concrete truck as he was pouring. The next thing I saw was concrete running out form under the forms because it was so thin. It had been watered down so much it wouldn’t stay in the forms. I immediately asked where the foreman was, and then told the crew to STOP pouring until he got back and I had a chance to talk to him. They immediately got on the radio and called the dispatcher and said “something is wrong with the concrete, stop the trucks.” While we sat and waited on the crew foreman to show up, a wonderful thing happened. A four door powerstroke pulled up. I asked the concrete guys who it was and they said, “That’s the SON.” I said, “Who?” They said, “The son of the guy who owns the concrete company.” He came up, introduced himself, and started talking to me. I told him what had happened, and he said, “You realize this is your foundation and it is your responsibility to watch over it as it is being poured.” “Remember if you let someone else be responsible for your foundation, then you may not end up with what you wanted.” Man, that grabbed me. So many people in life just believe what other people say, and they never get into the Word of God themselves. Their foundation is made up of religious ideas and things that they really understand. That is why many people don’t believe in the power of God for living in life, health, and prosperity today, because someone helped them with their foundation who didn’t believe that those things are available today. It is our responsibility to make sure the things we desire in our life are built into our foundation. Get into the Word of God. Read it, meditate on it, and believe it. Jesus said, “hear my sayings and do them.”The story isn’t over yet. About 20 minutes after the “son” had gotten in his truck and drove off, another four door powerstroke pulled up, and man was it decked out. Again I asked the concrete guys who it was, and they said, “That’s the Big Man.” “Who?” “That’s the dad. The guy who owns the concrete company.” We spoke, and I told him what had happened. He said that this wasn’t the same material that he had sent. He said, “It’s been watered down. When I sent it from my plant it was up to specs, but it’s been watered down so much the strength isn’t there to build the foundation you wanted.” I am standing there thinking, “Lord I’m getting a lesson here that every Christian should hear.” When you open your Bible and read the Word of God, that is building material strong enough to build a strong life. Don’t water it down or let anyone else water it down. It is what your life is built from. Pour the Word full strength into your heart and mind. Dare to believe the promises of God. The power of the Word of God and faith is available right there in front of you to cause you to succeed. All things are possible to him that believes. God is waiting on us to take His Word and build a foundation in our lives that not only cannot be shaken, but also has the power to move mountains. So, if you need to rip up that old foundation and start over, do it! You are a believer, so start believing . |