“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 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.” Matthew 7:25
What child hasn’t played the game “Hot Lava” where you jump from sofa to chair to sofa, etc., trying not to touch the floor, pretending it is hot lava? Our family spent a week out in Yellowstone in June where we saw evidence of the volcanic activity under the surface of the earth spouting out in the form of giant geysers and boiling mud pits. Incredibly amazing and beautiful, yet dangerous and awe-inspiring. The wise heed the warnings conspicuously posted around the park to stay on the boardwalks and trails. The ground in that area is unstable and unsafe. As the mother of three boys I made sure that my sons knew the worst case scenario if they were to disobey the warnings and read them many stories about those who had taken the risk and paid dearly.
Navigating the current of COVID19 feels a lot like playing “Hot Lava.” We stand on what is safe and stable until, well, it’s no longer safe and stable and then we jump to the next thing that we hope will keep us sure-footed, only to find ourselves in hot lava with the ground moving underneath us again so we jump to the next thing that we hope will keep us safe and stable.
A dear friend shared with me that making decisions these days feels like nailing gelatin to the wall. Our school principal stated it this way. We’re about to take off even though the plane is still being built. The only thing certain in life right now is uncertainty. In the words of songwriter Travis Rhett, “We make our plans and we hear God laughing. Life changes.” In the wise words of King Solomon, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s will that prevails.”
Jesus tells us the story of the two men. One man built his house on the rock and the other built his house on the sand. The storms came and the waters rose and the house built on the rock stood strong. The Rock of Ages doesn’t shift like sinking sand or hot lava. Jesus is our firm foundation. He never changes. EVER.
We are in a unique time where we are all in this storm together. I can’t think of any who have been untouched by the storm and turbulent waters of this pandemic. What is your house built on? Who is your faith in? The CDC? The government? The healthcare workers? The stock market? Or is it in the unshakable, unwavering, nail scarred hands?
When your hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness, you can rest assured and breathe deep that Jesus is holding you in this storm. He is our only hope and peace.
All other ground is sinking sand.
Sweet believer, let’s stop playing “Hot Lava.” The world needs to know there is a SOLID ROCK. His name is Jesus. Let’s not give in to the frenzy, but lean in to our faith and the one who can save us all from the world’s worst pandemic – sin. It has a 100% chance of death. (The wages of sin is death.) But God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. God has provided a cure for our chronic condition and His name is Jesus.