We were all of eighteen years old, and we both had jobs working full-time, which today is pretty amazing.
Buying a block of land way back then was still pretty exhausting and expensive, but we had a real opportunity to do so, and that's exactly what we did. I know these days buying and doing the same thing is pretty much out of the question for a couple so young as we were.
Here is a picture of us clearing the block - I look about 13, which I wasn't, and it really makes me smile a lot when I see the pic. I was head over heels in love with Sue, and luckily for me, she reckons she felt the same. I remember bringing her back to her parents' place and telling them we had bought a block of land, and seeing the surprised look on their faces. I think they were more aghast than surprised.
Anyway, things worked out well for us. It was a struggle financially, and because we were so young at the time, we really had to work so much harder to achieve what we felt we needed. I really wanted so desperately to get married and live our lives together. We finally did, and we built our home. Amazing really.
When I found this old photo of the two of us clearing the block that seemed so remote at the time - no sealed roads and absolutely hardly any other houses around except maybe two close to our block. It reminded me so much of the parable in the Bible that Jesus told so many of his followers. He really wanted to get his message across, and reading about it all these years after we built, it came home to me what Jesus meant. It is in Matthew 7:24-27. Here it is:-
"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, and the streams rose and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
I guess I have heard that story from Jesus lots of times growing up, and I really liked it, and then until just recently, it had a marked effect on my life.
Hmmm we have to be a tad careful because if we think when we read God's word, the Bible, that it somehow makes us truly wise, and we automatically become Christians. That certainly will not happen.
Jesus actually gives us two options here: He uses the story of the wise and foolish builders. Jesus makes it pretty clear that the wise builder builds his house on solid ground, but the foolish builder does the same except on sand.
Jesus wants us to hear these words of His and wants us to take them into our lives. He makes it pretty plain for us when we read His words that we really need to build our lives on the firm foundation which is actually Him. In other words, taking Him into our lives and making Him the actual very foundation of our life, not just some regular little part of it.
Sometimes we look like we may be Christians, but unfortunately, we are not! We can work like the Trojans used to work, hard and always being there, doing the things that others don't want to do. Maybe big noting ourselves and trying to gain lots of accolades and pats on the back. The very sad thing about that is that even though we may look prominent and get lots of applause, it's not at all about us. It's all about Jesus and our Heavenly Father.
It is pretty plain when Jesus told this story to the multitude that the two houses looked the same. Here we have two brand new houses, both beautiful, both well built, both looking absolutely lovely. Well, today, so many of us look the same. We work when we can, we live in houses when we can, we wear the same sort of clothes when we can, we go out when we can, and we speak to our neighbours when we can, and we are all friendly when we can be.
The thing is the difference, and this is what Jesus was trying to get through to us. He warned us through this story/parable that at some point, the very foundation of our lives will be shaken, and I mean really shaken in a big way. Hence, the story of the big storm that hit both houses.
When things happen to us that absolutely floor us and bring us to our knees, that will surely prove whether our foundation is secure in Jesus or whether we simply fall apart. We really need to make sure where we stand with Jesus, before any sort of tempest hits us. Simply just hearing God's word isn't enough for us to stand before our amazing God and know where we will be with Him for eternity.
We really need to read and hear the very words of Jesus, and we really need to obey His words entirely. We need to fully put our trust in Jesus, come what may, in our lives. There are good foundations and bad ones. We all may look the same, and we may appear to live the same, but our very foundations are the very epitome of our lives. The good foundation is fully trusting in Jesus and what he did for us, regardless of whatever may come our way.
Let's be fully focused on trusting Jesus. That is our strong and our lasting foundation. Putting into practice the words of Jesus, not just listening to them but also living our lives in simple obedience to God.
Where are you with Jesus? Do you even know Him? Do you want to give your life to Him today?
Ask Him to come into your life. Praying a simple prayer like this, maybe?
Father God, I know I have probably not done what you have wanted me to do. I have probably been taking some sort of applause for some of the things I have supposedly done in your name. I realise now that I have done the wrong thing. I really want you to come into my life and change me so that I can live for you and make you number one in my life. Please come into my life and lead me. Amen.
Things always change, and often we fall about when everything goes haywire, but once you have asked God to be number one in your life, then no matter what may happen he will always be there for you.
Hope you have a reasonably good week, and hope to see you next time
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