Building From Scratch

The ground was unforgiving and there was much to accomplish.

Luke 6:46-49

Reference: They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. (‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭48‬ NIV)

Explore: I have never done so much physical work in one week than when we did the landscaping of our front yard. The ground was unforgiving and there was much to accomplish.

We had just had our new house built and while it was exciting to move in, after a couple of months I had had enough of the mud pit that was our front yard. So my husband and I put aside a week of annual leave to dig in sleeper boarders, plant new shrubs and shovel metres and metres of soil, rock and bark.

The start of the week was the hardest. We were trying to break up the soil and even the machinery we’d hired was struggling with the clay in the ground.

We were working so hard and yet getting little result.

But things gradually started to progress. Once we drilled in the sleepers we started adding good soil and the bark brought a lovely fresh colour and smell to the whole yard. I was so proud to stand back after one week and survey the land that had been totally transformed.

Application: Building something is hard work. And often the beginning is the hardest.

Jesus did not use a building analogy lightly when he referred to people developing their faith. He knew reading the instructions was easy, it was putting them into action that was the hard work.

And yet, the benefits that come once the foundation has been laid changes our future. It doesn’t mean troubles won’t come our way, but it gives us the stability of faith to endure them.

Let’s not just read the faith instructions God gives us. Let’s be willing to put in the hard yards to apply them daily and set up a future close to God.

Prayer: Lord, we all balk at hard work at times. Forgive us when we become lazy in our faith. May we see our relationship with you as the most important foundation in our lives. Amen.

How is your faith foundation going?

building, faith, garden, Luke, word, work