SANDCASTLES
I stood on the beach, my toes pressing in the sand. There before me lay Windsor Castle,the Eiffel Tower and Golden Gate Bridge, all entries in a sandcastle contest at a local beach. With mouth gaping, I marveled at the detail of these structures. Then as I walked away, it hit me. These sandcastles were made of sand (Duh!). When the tide came in, they would all be swept way, no matter how beautiful.
Jesus uses this metaphor in Matthew 7:24-27. "Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 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. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn't obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash."
Without Jesus, no matter how lovely, powerful, or prosperous our lives may appear, when the storms hit or the tide comes in, we'll be washed out to sea like those sandcastles. That’s true of us all, including me.
Right now our world feels like a sandcastle in a storm. Our society abounds with superficial beauty. But like those sandcastles, there’s no solid foundation. Everything we trusted in for security is crumbling in the tide of trouble. A pandemic shuts down the world. Huge economic and emotional losses follow, after weeks of quarantine. Bankruptcies, domestic violence, and suicides are skyrocketing. And now, out-of-control violence rages in cities across our land. If we wonder what's going on, look at what Jesus said. Build our lives (or culture) on anything other than Him, and we'll be washed out to sea.
We can't buy into what the world offers. Our culture promotes fear, anger, hate and hopelessness. Jesus, our Rock, offers life, hope, freedom and truth. He calls us to stand on the rock and live radically different lives from the world around us. To bring heaven to earth (Matthew 6:10), reflecting the love and light of Jesus to a confused world. To rise above the lies and darkness of this world. To let go of the false security our culture offers. Because anything other than Jesus is simply a beautiful sandcastle.
Principle: What our world offers is like a sandcastle in a storm.
Promise: Build our lives on Jesus, and we're on a rock.
Ponder:
What are the "sandcastles" in my life I tend to trust in for security?
What steps can I take each day to deepen my foundation on The Rock?
Prayer: “Jesus, I thank you that in this world of sinking sand, I can run to you for security When I forget, remind me that you are my Rock.”
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Psalm 62.
Perceptions: Record any ideas God puts on your heart from today’s devotional.