Have you ever had an occasion when it seemed that brand new words somehow appeared in the text of your Bible? It happened to me recently and I've been contemplating the incident ever since.
As I was preparing to lead a study my research took me to the end of Luke chapter 6. That's where the parable of the wise and foolish builders is recorded. I passed my eyes casually over the words asking the Spirit to make the connection for me to the topic of the study. When I read verse 48, "He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock."(NIV) My antennae went up and my mind was suddenly in red alert mode.
Where in the world did those words, "dug down deep and laid the foundation" come from? I honestly couldn't remember ever having read them before. I rushed to the concordance and found that the same parable is also recorded in Matthew 7. Sure enough, those specific words do not appear there. Verse 24 ends with, "like a wise man who built his house on the rock". I realized that the Matthew passage must be the only one I'd previously read.
These kinds of discoveries are one of the ways the Lord reaches into my occasionally relaxed attitude about His Word and grabs my attention. I began to ponder the additional detail provided in Luke and asking the Spirit to guide my thinking. The insights I was given have stuck with me and I've already shared them with a number of friends.
You see, the picture I had from the Matthew passage was of two men who built similar houses - one set on a rock and the other set on a sandy beach. Old Yankees like me understand that important difference because we've weathered Nor'easters and hurricanes along the New England coast. Anything set on sand will surely be washed away, while things set on a rock are much more secure.
I have to admit though that there were times when my image of two identical houses caused me some discomfort. You see, I have witnessed times when structures have been washed right off of rocky islands. But God's Word is God's Word and He said the house on the rock stood firm under the onslaught of a storm. That was good enough for me.
What joy and delight to have the Luke version of the parable clarify the situation. The man who built his house on the rock "dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock". (Luke 6:48) He wasn't going to take any chances on having the precious structure he labored over washed away by any outside threat. He put his back into the task and excavated until he found rock solid enough to secure the foundation and support the entire house. He wanted his home to be secure for the long haul so he began by applying himself to the task of setting it on solid footing.
The parable took on a whole new perspective. It's possible that the wise and foolish man's houses did look identical to a passerby during beautiful weather - perhaps even surrounded by lovely landscaping. It would be when the "torrent struck" (v. 48, 49) that the difference would become obvious. The wiseman's house with the firm foundation set on rock would not even be shaken. The foolish man's house with an insufficient foundation would "collapse and its destruction [be] complete." (v. 49) The importance and value of the support below the surface would be clear to even the casual observer. One building much as it was before the storm, the other in shambles.
The spiritual comparison is easy to make. The person who humbly approaches God for wisdom builds their life on the solid foundation of a relationship with Him through Christ's atoning sacrifice, the truth of His Word, and a loving desire to be a doer of that word and not a hearer only. (James 1:22) Such a life will be sustained and unshaken when the storms strike. No amount of wind, rain, hail, trials, struggles, loss, deprivation, opposition, persecution, etc. will move such a life. "God's solid foundation stands firm." 2 Timothy 2:19
The person who stands alone builds their life on the foolishness of their own thinking. Such a life cannot withstand the storms that threaten it. Wind, rain, and all the pressures of this fallen world will cause such a life to collapse and be totally destroyed. "He who trusts in himself is a fool." (Proverbs 28:26a)
Hallelujah that God indwells His people by the power of the Holy Spirit. He leads and guides us according to the Father's wisdom. "For in Him we live and move and have our being." (Acts 17:28) Christ Himself calls out to His Father for our protection. "I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. ... My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one." (John 17:9,15)
Praise God that He always keeps His promises. (Numbers 23:19) He is the refuge for the righteous and we are secure in Him. (Hebrews 6:13-20)
Then it dawned on me - no wonder sanctification is hard, often dirty work. The process is represented in this parable by digging down until we find rock that is solid enough for a foundation on which to secure the building called my life. Plumbing the incredible depths of the unshakable truths of Scripture and seeking an intimate relationship with God Himself take time and effort. There's a lot of dirt and filth to dig through both in my heart and the world around me. We shouldn't be surprised by the effort or the muck.
Thank you, Lord, for this glimpse at the awesome work of salvation that provides the solid rock for my sanctification. Please continue to work out your good purpose in my life and cause me to stand firm amidst any and all dangers and evil that you alone might be glorified and your Name hallowed in all the earth. Amen
