ESCAPING A GREAT RUIN

“But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.” (Luke 6:49 NKJV)

 

No man is fully insulated against the vicissitudes of life. The storm or flood of life respects no man.

 

Everyone in life, whether sinner or saint, wise or foolish, poor or rich, literate or illiterate, will at one time or the other in his life has his own share of the harshness or tempest of life, although the nature and magnitude may differ.

 

While some people will remain strong, standing, and unshaken after the storm or tempest of life has come against them, some other people will fall flat on their faces, completely shattered, devastated or ruined by the storm or tempest of life.

 

It is neither God nor Satan who determines the effects the storm or tempest of life will have on you. You are the determiner of that!

 

But how do you choose or determine that?

Let us find out from God’s Word!
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You may not be able to stop, avoid or escape the sudden loss of your material possessions to natural disasters such as earthquake, tornado or flood, or avoid the abrupt untimely death of your loved ones, or a sudden loss of your good job or investments, or stop your partner from walking out of your life.

 

You may not be able to avoid or escape hatred, persecution, tribulation, or suffering in this ungodly world for the sake of Christ. However, you can prepare yourself in such a way that none of what you face, encounter, or suffer in life will shake, move, or destroy your faith.
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You should be well prepared for whatever the devil might roll or bring out against you in the Christian race so that like Apostle Paul you also may boldly declare, “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” (Acts 20:24 NKJV).

 

The Lord Jesus clearly teaches His disciples how to prepare for any vicissitude, storm or tempest of life, so that they may not suffer any devastation or ruin from any storm or tempest of life.

 

It is wisdom for us today to carefully examine and pay a close attention to what the Lord teaches about escaping or avoiding a great ruin as a result of any storm or tempest of life.

 

Our Lord Jesus closed His Sermon on the Mount by drawing a beautiful comparison between a wise builder and a foolish builder.

 

Matthew 7:  

 24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:

 25 “and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

 26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:

 27 “and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” (NKJV).

 

In this parable, both the wise man and the foolish man experienced the same nature and magnitude of tempest and flood. However, the effects of the tempest and flood upon their houses greatly differ.

 

While the house of the wise man could not be shaken, ruined or destroyed by the storm and the flood, the house of the foolish man fell and great was its fall and ruin.

 

You can prevent your life, relationship, marriage, career, ministry or business from being shaken, destroyed, or ruined by any storm or flood of life that may come against you by being a wise builder.

 

How do you get the wisdom to build a strong, lasting or enduring life, home, career, ministry or business that cannot be shaken or destroyed by any storm that may come against it?

 

The Lord Jesus reveals how to be a wise builder in this parable.

 

Luke 6:

 47 “Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:

 48 “He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. (NKJV).

 

First, the first right step towards building a strong and an enduring life that will defy any storm or flood of life is to come to the Lord Jesus Christ, believe in Him and surrender your life unreservedly to Him.

 

Jesus said, “Whoever comes to Me and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like…” (Luke 6:47 NKJV).

 

If Jesus Christ is not the Chief Cornerstone of your life, you cannot stand in the evil days!

 

There is no religion in this world that can serve as a good substitute for having a loving and intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, or as a substitute for having Jesus Christ as the Chief Cornerstone of your life, home, marriage, career, business, or ministry (1 Pet. 2:6, Col. 2:16-19).

 

It is only those who have put their faith in Christ as their Lord and Saviour that have Christ as their Chief Cornerstone!

 

Apostle Paul attests to this truth.

 

Ephesians 2:

 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.

 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

 19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,

 21 in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,

 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (NKJV).

 

Second, while building a life that cannot be shaken, destroyed or ruined by any tempest or flood of life starts with having a loving and intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and recognizing Him as your Chief Cornerstone; however, this is just the starting point.

 

Having put your faith in Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour, you must begin to listen to, read, study, imbibe and meditate in the words or teaching of Christ.

 

The Lord Jesus said, “Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like.” (Luke 6:47 NKJV).

 

You cannot be a wise builder without knowing and understanding the truths of God’s Word. It is the truths of God’s Word taught by Jesus Christ and His early apostles that offer you a sure, solid and strong foundation to build upon.

 

Therefore, you must passionately and diligently seek after the truths of God’s Word if you want to build upon a sure, strong and solid foundation.

 

Solomon admonishes you to incline your ears and apply your heart to seeking, knowing and understanding the truths of God’s Word.

 

Proverbs 2:

 1 My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you,

 2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding;

 3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding,

 4 If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures;

 5 Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God.

 6 For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. (NKJV).

 

Third, while it is good to diligently seek to hear, read, know and understand the words or sayings of Christ, yet you are not building upon a sure, solid and strong foundation if you don’t believe, obey and apply the truths of God’s Word.

 

The Lord Jesus said, “Whoever comes to Me and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like…” (Luke 6:47 NKJV).

 

You are not a wise builder if you only take delight in reading, hearing, or speaking Jesus’ words, sayings or teachings, but has no delight in obeying, following and applying them!

 

James 1:

 21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;

 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. (NKJV).

 

Beloved, you are not building on Jesus Christ, the solid Rock of ages, if you are still being tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine.

 

It is your primary responsibility to prayerfully and diligently read, search and study the Word of God so that you may find and understand the truths, and then build your life, marriage, home, career, ministry or business upon the truths.

 

It is your responsibility to see to it that you are grounded in the truths of God’s Word!

 

Friend, it is wisdom to carefully examine the foundation, principle, philosophy or doctrine upon which you are standing or building your life before the tempest or flood of life blows and beats on you.

 

Are you building your life upon the teachings of Christ or upon the traditions of men?

 

If you are not building your life upon the words, principles, or teachings of Jesus Christ, you are certainly building upon a weak, shallow and sinking foundation.

 

The Word of Christ is the only sure, strong, solid and enduring foundation on which you can build your life and escape a great fall and ruin when the storm or tempest of life comes against you.

 

 

Prayer: My Dear Heavenly Father, I choose to be a wise builder today. My Dear Holy Spirit, help me to incline my ears daily to hear, to know and understand Jesus’ words, and to obey, follow and live by them, in Jesus’ name.
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Amen.