What is Your Foundation Built Upon?

Is Your Home Built on Firm Foundation?
I heard a riveting sermon yesterday about foundations – of buildings, homes, AND people. When prevailing winds and storms come (and they will), what is it that keeps structures firmly standing? What is it that gives the strength, will, and determination to outlast the storms of life?

Remember the story Jesus Christ told about two builders in Matthew 7:24-27? One builder made the decision to go the easy, less time-consuming way and simply build his house on sand, while the other wiser builder, made the better decision to build his home on rock foundation. The rock was probably difficult to chip into and level off a footing for the house. It probably took a long time to attach the structure to the bedrock. A rocky terrain would take time, patience and hard work. But that wise man seemed to have considered such factors and to have believed it would be worth the effort.

Built into the rock, his house could endure the inevitable storms that would come. The other careless builder may have had too much to do or was in a hurry to have a house and get on with "more important" matters. But what could be more important than a FIRM foundation?

Yesterday, in that sermon, parents and teachers were encouraged to ensure that their children were having strong foundations built in their lives. It is in their early years, that their core values, their faith AND their faithfulness values are being built that will guarantee strong, weather-proof houses in their future.

My personal “ROCK-solid” foundation came as a result of having parents that loved and served God with all their hearts and modeled that love to me daily. Sure it took methodical training and teaching and living the example before me.

My husband built several homes. It seemed the foundation part of building those homes took forever. But, he was ensuring that those homes were being built on firm foundation -- so much so that he reinforced those walls with steel and poured concrete into the footings. That's what my parents were doing when they took me to church to reinforce everything they were teaching me at home. I learned and memorized scriptures that supported my faith and God's love for me.

Yesterday, at church, we sang this song over and over, and the more we sang it, the more it felt like a "foundation" anthem and the more inspired I was with this post for today: “I will build my life upon Your love; it is a firm foundation; I will put my trust in You alone, and I will not be shaken".

I remember Robert Schuller’s book entitled “Tough times don’t last – but tough people do!” I've known some tough people that weathered some of the greatest storms of life and they did so because of their Anchor, their Rock, their Fortress Who was their FIRM foundation. Maybe you're feeling a little shaky today -- in your faith and in your emotions that are getting the best of you, and in truly believing that you will survive the storms that surround you. The first part of Jesus' parable about the builders goes like this: "Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock......" Begin to reinforce and build that firm foundation of Jesus Christ. He is that ROCK-solid foundation that will give you the stability your heart and life needs now and in the future. Trust in Him and His ability to carry you through the toughest of storms and that in doing so, you will never be shaken but will stand....and stand strong!

Tough Times Don't Last, But Tough People AND Trees Do!

I set out to buy two trees for my yard. My main criteria? Hardy. A very knowledgeable tree specialist guided me to this Maple Tree (left). It would be on the west side of my home and would eventually have a great canopy from the sun, and yes, it's a hardy tree. I chose the hardy Crabapple Tree for the front yard for the maroon leaves that would match my house – I know that’s a girlie consideration, but, like my clothes, I want ME, and my house and yard, to be color-coordinated. When it was time for the nursery to plant the trees, I asked about supports and stabilizers against these Oklahoma winds. The tree specialist said, “We’ll provide stakes if you want, but we don’t recommend it. Movement of the trunk helps strengthen it by thickening it. And, trunk movement also stimulates root growth.” Well, that was good enough for me. But, in the last couple of weeks, I almost doubted my decision as these Oklahoma winds were bending them beyond what I thought they were capable of. But, they are withstanding the winds, and they are standing tall.

Robert Schuller wrote a book called “Tough Times Don’t Last, But Tough People Do”. And, in almost all cases, tough times don’t last, but people with faith and trust in their Creator, Almighty God, do! With God as our stabilizer and support, the storms of life and the prevailing winds may come, but we will withstand every pressure, every adversarial push and shove, and every brute force that could uproot us from our faith. In all those times….sure we’ll bend, but we sure won’t break!

Psalm 1:2-3 “But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.”