We were having a new house built back in 2000. Every Sunday after church we drove by to check their progress, which seemed painstakingly slow. We were thrilled the week we drove by and saw the foundation had been poured. Yes! Progress!
A week or two later we stopped by only to find a back hoe in our yard digging up the foundation. I was befuddled and asked my husband, “That’s not normal, is it?”
John approached one of the construction workers to find out what was going on. As it turned out, the original foundation was dug and poured 6 inches left of where it should have been located. SIX INCHES!!! You may think (as I did) – what’s the big deal? But we were on small property lots and there was not much wiggle room for error. Six inches made a difference. I took their word for it.
After the foundation was dug up and re-poured and the house structure was built – I remember opening the back door and saw the framing for the back steps was off by 6 inches which looked rather silly; the step frame did not match up with the door! It was 6 inches left of the door. I’m no construction worker but even I knew that wasn’t right. An error in the foundation effects everything built on that foundation.
What foundation are you building on?
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” Matthew 7:24-27 (underlining mine)
Jesus’ parable highlights the importance of building our foundation on the very Word of God, the Bible. Are we spending regular significant time in His Word? Are we spending time gleaning wisdom from the Master Builder?
Don’t be fooled. Nothing compares to the Bible itself. There are a lot of Bible-related resources available – devotional books, blogs, podcasts, etc. Many of them are excellent, but they are not God’s living, breathing Word. By all means, use them but may I encourage you to not neglect the reading of the Bible itself? Bible-related resources may be good or even better but the Bible is the best. Don’t settle for good or better – hang in there for the best.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
If you are not currently reading God’s Word regularly, may I encourage you to start with 10 or 15 minutes a day? Let your time expand as you fall more in love with Jesus and His Word.
Blessings,
Diane
Written by Diane Hunt: Diane Hunt serves on the board of America’s Keswick and is the Executive Director & CEO of Changed Choices, a Christian non-profit in North Carolina. She is also a biblical counselor and women’s event speaker. For more information about having Diane speak at your next event please contact her at dhunt@americaskeswick.org.
Think About This: “Yes, your life is messy and hard, but that’s not a failure of the plan; it is the plan. It’s God working to complete what he’s begun in you.” – Paul David Tripp
The Daily Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 29-30; Mark 16| You can download our 2022 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here.
