(tree uprooted from a tornado that passed by our house)
The foundation of a home is rarely noticed unless there is a problem. But it makes all the difference. At the end of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, he gives one final statement. He doesn’t beg or threaten, he simply gives people a choice and the truth.
Matthew 7:24-29 ~ The Two Foundations
“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. And its collapse was great!”
When Jesus had finished this sermon, the crowds were astonished at His teaching, because He was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes.
When my young husband and I walked into our brand-new home for the first time back in 1992, we stopped at the entrance-way and prayed. It was the first thing we did in our new home. We didn’t have a clue about what life would bring us over the years, but all I knew was that I wanted God’s protection in our home. Through all our mistakes, joys and sadness, God provided just that. He protected our home. Not only in the physical way, from the time we watched a tornado pass by the side of our house, but also in the spiritual way, where we have watched our son grow into a fine young man and be protected from the destructive elements that take hold of so many of our youth. We weren’t perfect, and we’ve had job layoffs and heartache along the way, but I believe God paid attention to that simple request of ours so many years ago, and has kept us from great collapse.
Protect your home. Make it the one place in the world where your family can be loved, accepted, and have a place they can always return to. A place where evil is shut out. A place of refuge for your family. Make it a place of warmth, where good food is served and there is laughter and photographs and child’s drawings on the walls, and not just a place where you collect the latest and most expensive stuff. And these days, the perimeter of our home is more than just the walls and yard; we must protect what comes in through our television and internet too. If you ask God, in all sincerity, He will make a promise to you, to be the God of your home and to protect you and your family.
