People today are sinking; they are sure that they are on solid ground, but in reality they are being suck down into the sink hole of sin and death. I know that I often recite childrens' Sunday School songs in my devotionals, but there is much spiritual truth contained in these simple chorus'.
The foolish man built his house upon the sand;
The foolish man built his house upon the sand;
The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
And the rains came tumbling down.
The rains came down as the floods came up;
The rains came down as the floods came up;
The rains came down as the floods came up,
And the house on the sand fell flat.
The wise man built his house upon the rock;
The wise man built his house upon the rock;
The wise man built his house upon the rock,
And the rains came tumbling down.
The rains came down as the floods came up;
The rains came down as the floods came up;
The rains came down as the floods came up,
And the house on the rock stood firm.
What are we building our "house", life on...the sands (things) of this world, or are we building our "house" , life, on the Rock, the Lord Jesus Christ? One of these things is a sure foundation, the other will crumble underneath the rains of adversity, trials and trouble.
Deuteronomy 32:4 "He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He."
Psalms 18:31 "For who is God, save the LORD? Or who is a rock save our God?
The Lord Jesus Christ is to be our Rock. It is upon this Rock that we are to build our lives. He is the Rock of salvation; the Rock we can run to for comfort and safety. There is no storm that could ever move this Rock. It is on this Rock that we are safe evermore. So why do the foolish try to build their lives on the sand instead of the Rock. They are putting their trust in the things of this earth instead of the God who made the heavens and earth. Lets take a look at some of the things that the foolish are building their houses on, the sink holes of this world.
Worldly Riches
Proverbs 11:4 "Riches profit not in the day of wrath:"
Matthew 19:24 "And again I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God."
This is not saying that the wealthy cannot be saved; it's pointing out that for a man who is rich and self-sufficient, it is harder for him to admit that he cannot save himself. He is used to relying on his money to buy whatever it is that he needs...and you cannot buy salvation. History has proven that you cannot put your trust in riches, remember the great stock market crash, thousands of people lost everything they owned in just one day. Riches lead you to believe you have it all, but in reality you have nothing. This is one of this worlds sink holes, the sink hole of riches.
Psalms 49: 6 - 8 "They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches: None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him. For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:"
Worldly Success
Luke 17:33 "Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it."
Man's thinking is, "I, I, I." To be a success man thinks that everything they do has to revolve around them. To "get to the top" is a reward of what they've accomplished. The main component in wordly success is pride. But God says, that whoever works to save themselves, to put themselves at the top, shall lose everything. Its when we lose our lives in the Lord that we gain everything...eternal life. True success comes when all we have is in the Lord Jesus Christ and Him alone. Worldly success is one of the sink holes of this life.
Matthew 16:26 "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"
Worldly Knowledge
Proverbs 3:7 "Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil."
1 Corinthians 3:19 "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness."
Mankind loves to gain knowledge. There is a status symbol that is proudly worn if you're a university graduate, especially if you've graduated from a prestigious university like Harvard or Yale. But all the wisdom of this world does not impress God. The more worldly knowledge that man gains the less God enters into his thoughts. Man's knowledge teaches that man has achieved, man has accomplished, man has triumphed, man has persevered. There is no place for God in the wisdom of man. The truth is that true wisdom begins and ends with God. Worldly wisdom is one of the sink holes of this life.
Proverbs 9:10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding."
Worldly Righteousness
Isaiah 64:6 "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags: and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."
Romans 7:18a "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing;"
We like to think that we are good. Reality says differently, there is nothing good in man. We are sinners from the day we draw our first breath, and except we accept the Lord as our Savior, we die sinners. The best that we have, is before God, filthy rags. There is nothing in the sinful nature of man that can please God. Worldly righteousness is a sink hole of this life.
Romans 3:12b "There is none that doeth good, no, not one."
The last verse of the childrens' Sunday School chorus goes like this;
So build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ;
So build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ;
So build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ,
And the blessings will come down.
The blessings will come down as the prayers go up;
The blessings will come down as the prayers go up;
The blessings will come down as the prayers go up,
So build your life on the Lord.
Proverbs 4:26 exhorts us to "Ponder the path of thy feet..." Where is the path that we are on leading us? Is it leading us to build on the sands of this earth, sink holes; or is the path leading us
to build on the Rock of our salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ. Christains can build on worldly riches, success, knowledge and righteousness, then lose it all; or we can build our lives on the Rock, and gain Godly riches, success, knowledge and righteousness. One building site is situated on the sink hole of sin and ruin, the other is on the Rock that will endure forever. Are you wise or foolish?
1 Corinthians 3:11 - 15 "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."
My hope is built on nothing less,
Then Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus name.
When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in Him be found,
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand, before the throne.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
Edward Mote
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