MORE THOUGHTS ON STORMS AND FOUNDATIONS
Matthew 7:24-27

A few years ago I read the story of a young woman named Anne Steele.  She had encountered one trial and disappointment after another.  Being a devout Christian, she continuously sought to praise God – even in sorrow.  She was engaged to be married, and had looked forward to her wedding day with eagerness.  The big day finally arrived and so did the guests -–but the groom was missing.  After about an hour of waiting, a messenger brought the tragic news that Anne’s fiance had drowned.  The sudden shock was almost too much for her, but after a while she regained her spiritual composure.  Later Anne Steele penned the song that is still found in many hymnbooks today:  “Father, whate’er of earthly bliss Thy sovereign will denies, Accepted at Thy throne of grace, let this petition rise:  Give me a calm, a thankful heart, from every murmur free!  The blessings of Thy grace impart, and make me live to Thee.”

How could this young lady write those words?  How can we survive in the midst of the storms that assail us?  What is the secret?

The answer to those questions brings us to the second great principle of this parable.  The foundation upon which you build your life determines the strength of your life in the face of troubles. 

Friends, you can build your life upon sand.  There is the sand of education.  We are a nation that worships at the shrine of education.  There are over 25,000 public high schools in the United States, enrolling over 19 million students with over a million teachers on the payroll with American taxpayers footing the bill of over $150 billion annually.  Now education is great.  But education cannot help when the walls of your life begin to collapse.  A few years ago, this was illustrated in a tragic way when a student opened fire on the campus of the University of Iowa, leading to several deaths.  The reason for this rampage was the failure to obtain a fellowship.  For that young man, education certainly was not a stable foundation upon which to build his life.

We can also build upon our pleasures.  Many of us have grown up in the age of the playboy philosophy.  It has permeated our television and movie screens.  All around us are people burned out on drugs, alcohol, and sex.  They have become old at the ages of 16 and 18.  They have grabbed for all the gusto and soon have discovered its promises were empty.  In Luke 15, Jesus tells of a young man who burned out on pleasure.  Pleasure didn’t provide security when the walls of his life began to collapse, and he soon found himself slopping hogs and even eating what the hogs left. 

Friends, is there nothing to build upon that helps when troubles come?  That will be the question we will address in our concluding study of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.

Father, I remember the words of Jesus:  What shall it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and forfeit his own soul?  So many people today, Lord, are building their lives upon shaky foundations.  It is no wonder that their lives collapse when the storms assail, resulting in divorces, physical abuse, and even suicide.  Certainly there is not the peace that Anne Steele had in her storm-tossed life.  Help us to build our lives in way that will endure when the storms come.  For this we will give You praise in Christ’s name.  Amen.

 

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