And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. – Matthew 7:25
Over the past several years, various parts of the world have been hit by devastating hurricanes. Several states in the southern Gulf Coast region have been hit more than once. After each storm, we survey the damage through news reports showing destroyed homes and displaced families. One storm caused more than eighty billion dollars of damage and displaced about twelve thousand individuals—quantities difficult to fathom.
As I was thinking about the devastation in the lives of those who were caught in the hurricanes, today’s focus verse came to me. I thought about the storms of life and the destruction they can bring if we do not put our trust in God. Some of the hardships we may go through have the potential to shatter families and cause individuals damage that will take years to repair.
The only way our spiritual houses can survive the storms of life is to be certain that they are built upon the Rock Christ Jesus. We must have a real relationship with Jesus and maintain that relationship through daily Bible reading and devotions. If we do that, we can put our trust in Him and know that He will be with us and protect us as we “ride out the storms.” When the trials of life assail us, we will be able to stand on God’s Word and know that He is there to hold us up and sustain us.
We may not be able to see what is ahead, but Jesus can. If we do not let go of His Hand, He will surely bring us through. There is a hymn entitled, “The Solid Rock,” and these are some of the words:
In ev’ry high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil. . .
His oath, His covenant, His Blood,
Support me in the whelming flood. . .
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand. 1
How true that song is! We may not have control over every challenge that comes into our lives, but we do have a remedy for any situation!
1 Words by Edward Mote. (Public Domain.)