Shifting Sand or Solid Rock?

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. Matthew 7:24-27

Have you viewed the beautiful sunsets and sunrises in the last few days? The Saharan desert, pictured here, has a land area as big as the United States and covers most of northern Africa. I can't imagine building cities and countries in a desert, but there are rivers and oasis to build near. Many of the cities border the Mediterranean Sea, but the picture above seems like nothing but a wasteland.  People from all over the world are drawn to visit the cities and yes there are some who venture across this vast territory. The winds show us some of the beauty of the blowing sand when viewed with the light of the rising and setting sun. But would you want to build a house on the rise in the picture above?

The world shows us the beauty it wants us to see. It draws us with smiling faces and adventure. We are never shown the devastation and desolation that comes from following the world's fascinations. The pandemic has taken many of the world's attractions from our reach. Though many things like sports and movies and money are not bad in and of themselves when they become things we "worship" meaning put before God they become a false beauty that is here today and gone tomorrow. It's like shifting sand. We can't depend on those things when the going gets tough. 

What about other things that look attractive? Alcohol is shown in commercials as relaxing and fun. Pills are prescribed to help us relax and sleep or releave pain. These can be addictive and destructive to ourselves and others. 

But we need entertainment. We need things to help us control pain. We need money. All of this is true but they can't be the controlling factors in our lives while we ignore the God who created us, loves us and gave His only Son for us. 

How has the pandemic affected your lifestyle? Do you feel frustrated? Bored? Mad? Are you concerned about what the future holds? 

Jesus is the Rock we must build our lives upon. He is the real help when the world is caving in around us. Have you turned your life over to Him? How has the pandemic changed your relationship with Jesus? 

Since "we're all in this together" we'd love for you to share your ideas of drawing closer to God in these troublesome times.

Blessings,

Gail