Daily Lesson for May 30, 2014

Today's Daily Lesson is from Matthew 7 verses 24 and 25:

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock."

Yesterday I officiated a funeral and just before I led the family into the sanctuary I asked the congregation to rise and our pianist began to play the old hymn "How Firm a Foundation".

Here is something about life that must be accepted: there will be storms.  Rains are going to fall, floods are going to come, and winds are going to beat against the doors of every family's house.  If we deny that we will be surprised and disappointed when the storm does come, and we will in all likelihood be swept away in a torrent of shock, grief, sadness, and resentment.  We will be dismayed that such a calamity has fallen our home.

But those who know the storm will come are ready when it does.  When they built their house they dug deep and laid a firm foundation.  When the storm comes, they will weather it; they will survive.

I know that somebody is reading this and thinking that survival seems a pretty low goal.  I would say that person probably hasn't considered just how mighty and destructive some storms can be.  Illness, debilitation, the loss of a job, betrayal and death - some storms you hope just to survive.  And survival depends on how firm a foundation you've got.