Have you noticed that life doesn’t often turn out like you expected? You grow up, leave home to get a job or a further education, explore the world a little, search for a partner, have kids and start the cycle all over again. It’s what your parents did and what their parents did. Somewhere along the way though, the cycle takes an unexpected turn…the job falls through, the marriage ends, the kids leave home, and you have to adjust to the change. If, by the grace of God life turned out better than you expected, it’s still a mystery. One of the best ways to adjust to all these changes is to look for God’s hand at work in your life. When did He open a door for you? When did He show you another way to discover your mission or your purpose here?
Since we’re temporary on planet Earth, we want God to direct our steps and keep us moving along. In fact, these days, we want that more than ever! Why? Because the noise of the world makes your head spin. You are swept into the vortex of television, news feeds, internet apps, and Facebook opinions. It’s a vast abyss that can mislead even the savviest thinkers. You’re not sure who to follow, or who to believe. You wonder if anything is real. You need a foundation stone, and even more, a cornerstone.
Jesus told his followers to be careful about building a house on the sand. It doesn’t matter whether the house is made of wood, bricks, or steel, it’s still going to fall. The wolf will always find his way to the door. It’s going to collapse because it has no solid foundation. But if you build your house on the Rock of Ages then nothing can take it down. It will remain forever. So each of us must take an honest look at what kind of foundation we’re building.
In my adult life, I’ve seldom been able to purchase my own home. Every opportunity for such things just slipped through my fingers. I’ve grown content with renting lovely homes, moving to different cities, never really landing anywhere, just passing through. It helps me remember to focus on the work before me, the race to be run, the job at hand. It reminds me that this very moment is the best one I’ve got, so I have to keep building on a foundation of faith. In that, I feel secure.
Someday, I’ll end up a permanent resident in a mansion, a place that is already reserved for me, a place that will last forever.
I don’t want to miss that party!