“When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation” (Prov. 10:25, NLT).
A good foundation is essential in building a home that will last. I sometimes tagged along as a boy when it was time for my father to oversee the pouring of a foundation of a house he was building. The soil had been analyzed. A registered, certified engineer had provided specifications to be followed.
When pouring day finally arrived, there was always an extra bit of excitement in the air. Were conditions favorable? Were the cement trucks ready? Even though many times the work began well before sunrise, not once did my father build a house without being present for the pouring of the foundation. He refused to skimp on the foundation: not in planning, not in preparation, not in materials, not in workmanship.
A good foundation is also essential in building a life that will last. Proverbs opens by saying that a well-built life starts with God (Prov. 1:7). Only the fear of the Lord, the foundation of true knowledge, can help us pour the foundation for a life worth living.
Jesus challenges all who will listen to make a wise choice, and build a life on him and his teachings: “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock” (Matthew 7:24, NLT).
As we go about constructing a life and helping our children and others construct theirs, we must not skimp on the foundation.
Let me offer a prayer for you and for all of those who want to choose wisely: Dear God, help us seek you through the Lord Jesus Christ and through his teachings, so that you can build our lives into godly lives that magnify you as our Rock. In Jesus’ name. Amen.