WISE AND FOOLISH BUILDERS
 

Two men were each building a house.

The foolish builder would build his house without thinking about what kind of foundation there was. He might have liked the way the building site looked. Perhaps he decided to ignore the warnings of people who had experienced past floods.

The wise builder, on the other hand, carefully plans his house. He investigates the building site to ensure it will sustain his building. He judges the soil and elevation to make sure that there are no flood hazards. He will listen to warnings from those who know the area. He builds with confidence and knows his building will last.

Everyone who hears the word of God is building a house. The one who hears God’s word but does not do what it says is like a foolish builder who builds his house on sand. That house will be crushed in a storm. The one who hears the word of God and obeys it is like a wise man who builds his house on solid rock. That house will stand up to any storm. Wise people build their faith on the foundation of God’s word. This faith stands strong against the storms of life.

If we do not live according to God’s word, we just do what feels right at the time. We do not listen to warnings, or we ignore God’s wisdom. Many people build their lives on shifting sand. They may listen to sermons and Bible classes, but they do not live according to what the Bible says.

Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the 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.
Matthew 7:24-27