Your Spiritual House

Matthew 7:24-27
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
Our pastor mentioned this scripture this morning in reference to a larger sermon on being living stones (1 Pet. 2:5) as well as an active member of the body by fulfilling our God-given role (Eph. 4:11-16). Something that really spoke to me about his sermon was when he mentioned Jesus words in red above. I have read them before and know this story well. But scripture hits you differently at different stages of life as well as in different circumstances. Do you notice that the storms blew on both houses? In both cases, the storm was severe. The rain was pouring down, the streams were rising and the winds were beating against the houses. Which house stood? The house which was built on the solid rock. The house which was built on sinking sand was washed away. Where is your spiritual house built? When the storms come, where do you go? Do you blame God? The scripture tells us that as believers we will still have severe storms in our lives. These two houses, one built on Christ, the other on nothing, had the same storm try to destroy them. If we are not built on Christ then we have chosen to allow the storms to wash us away. We will have storms! If our spiritual house is built on Christ, then He will be with us, helping us to weather them, helping us to stand solidly on Him during them and even enabling us to praise Him while the rain in falling and the wind is blowing. When storms have passed, and they will pass, we will have stood victoriously on the firm foundation of Christ.