Written Nudges | Built on Sand

“Anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is…like a person who builds a house on sand.”  Matt. 7:26

Sand is great…at the beach or in a sandbox. It feels good on your feet when you’re relaxing or walking along the seashore. It’s fine for making castles, but you don’t want to build a real house on it because it shifts with the waves. Sand goes wherever water takes it. That’s what Jesus meant. Of the thousands who turned out to listen to His teaching, only a handful would actually apply it to their lives—and He feared for them. They thought that simply showing up and enjoying the show would improve their lives. They were wrong. Satan was waiting for them in the sandbox.

He’s waiting for us too. Sandy foundations beckon to us, promising beautiful homes and delight-filled lives. Popular opinion is one such foundation. We listen intently for the latest poll numbers, soundbites from celebrities, or whatever so-called “science” declares at the moment. Like sand, we go wherever popular opinion takes us. Education can also be a sandy foundation. Enough of it inflates our egos and convinces us that we’re more enlightened than those simple-minded Bible-thumpers. We’d rather build our lives on our own knowledge. Lust, greed, jealousy, and people-pleasing are all sandy foundations that won’t weather life’s storms. But Jesus said that those who build their lives on His word can withstand anything life throws at us.

Final Thought:  Have you identified the foundation upon which your life is built? Be sure it’s not sand!
Prayer: Father, help me be honest with myself about the foundation for my life. What is the bedrock upon which my choices, values, and attitudes are based? If it’s not your word, I’m building on sand. I’m ready to change that. In Jesus’ name, Amen.