Scripture: “Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built” (Luke 6:47-48, ESV)

Observation: Ellen White describes in wonderful details the scene where the words of Jesus (from our text0 were spoken: “As the people sat upon the hillside, listening to the words of Christ, they could see valleys and ravines through which the mountain streams found their way to the sea. In summer these streams often wholly disappeared, leaving only a dry and dusty channel. But when the wintry storms burst upon the hills, the rivers became fierce, raging torrents, at times overspreading the valleys, and bearing everything away on their resistless flood. Often, then, the hovels reared by the peasants on the grassy plain, apparently beyond reach of danger, were swept away. But high upon the hill were houses built upon the rock. In some parts of the land were dwellings built wholly of rock, and many of them had withstood the tempests of a thousand years. These houses were reared with toil and great difficulty. They were not easy of access, and their location appeared less easy of access than the grassy plain. But they were founded upon the rock; and wind and flood and tempest beat upon them in vain. (This Day with God, 215)

Application: While the words of Jesus apply first of all to our own personal life and underscores the importance of establishing a true foundation on the Rock, Jesus Christ, His words also tells us how important it is that our home be built on that same foundation.  What that means is that the daily devotional time and prayer times are not simply a tradition or a habit but the daily formation of the spiritual life of the members of the family.

It is interesting that Ellen White also connects these words of Jesus to our first parents: “Had Adam and Eve heeded the words that God spoke to them in the beginning, they would not have fallen from their first estate” (Ibid.).  The foundation of a strong marriage and family is the same, The Rock, Jesus Christ, and when the storms of life come, that sure foundation will hold the family together.  “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11).  The storms of life come to all of us –  illness, loss of a job, death, conflict, accidents.  All those storms that come our way can break up any relationship.  But if we are built on the Rock, as hard and painful as any storm may be, they will not destroy us or our family.

A Prayer You May Say: Father, Help us to build our foundation daily on Your Son, Jesus Christ, and when the storms of life come and threaten to destroy us, may His strength be ours, and may he keep us together while the world tries to tear us apart.

Used by permission of Adventist Family Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.