Rain, Floodwaters and Wind

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. ²⁵ Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. ²⁶ But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. ²⁷ When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”  Matthew 7:24-27

Yesterday in Children’s Church our lesson was the Wise and Foolish Builder. The kids built Lego houses on a brick and on the sand. The buildings were both standing, so they kept adding Lego pieces. But then came the rain, which began to fill the tray they were in and the wind began to blow and before their eyes, the one built on the sand collapsed. They tried everything they knew to make the house on the brick fall, but it kept standing, and they were amazed.

One of the kids said this is like the Three Little Pigs, he huffed and puffed and blew the house down. Isn’t that just like our enemy? He tries everything he can to distract and destroy us and tear our house down. But when we keep our eyes on Jesus, everything that comes at us becomes a blur and is ineffective in its purpose.

Notice both houses were standing just fine until the rain came and the rain wasn’t causing too much damage, except that it was now building up water around the foundation, but when the wind began to blow, now, all three things were making the perfect storm and the house whose foundation was washed out got destroyed. Remember no matter what the circumstance, when we stay standing on Jesus, our house can withstand anything. It’s always good to be reminded of this simple story with its simple truths when we live in such a complicated world.