The Foundation Means Everything
So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts upon them [obeying them] will be like a sensible (prudent, practical, wise) man who built his house upon the rock. And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them will be like a stupid (foolish) man who built his house upon the sand. And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great and complete was the fall of it. Matthew 7:24-27 (Amplified Bible Classic Edition, AMPC)
He said to them, But who do you [yourselves] say that I am? Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Then Jesus answered him, Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) are you, Simon Bar-Jonah. For flesh and blood [men] have not revealed this to you, but My Father Who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter [Greek, Petros—a large piece of rock], and on this rock [Greek, petra—a huge rock like Gibraltar] I will build My church, and the gates of Hades (the powers of the infernal region) shall not overpower it [or be strong to its detriment or hold out against it]. Matthew 16:15-18 (Amplified Bible Classic Edition, AMPC)
Both of these passages speak of building upon a sure foundation. A building is only as sturdy and strong as the foundation upon which it is built. The first passage deals with the importance of a strong foundation in order to be able to survive the storms of life. The second also speaks of a firm foundation, but it refers to building on the revelation of who Jesus is. Essentially, they are one and the same.
For the Christian, his life’s foundation must be the Word of God. To be able to successfully overcome in the storms and difficulties of life, we must build upon the Word. Jesus is revealed in the Gospel of John to be the Word. So, we must know the Living Word, Jesus, as well as the written Word of God to establish a firm foundation and to stand strong no matter what comes.
We can’t build anything without first setting a solid foundation. And the deeper the foundation, the larger the structure that can be set upon it. Large skyscrapers must have much deeper foundations than a one-story house. If we take the time to dig and establish a deep, strong foundation, we can build much upon it.
Many people today want to receive great revelation and insights from the Lord. However, few people have taken the time to set a foundation upon which to place that revelation. The amount of revelation we can take depends upon the type of foundation we have built. Before we can receive great revelation and deep inspiration, we must have spent time building a good foundation upon which to place those revelations. That foundation is made by digging into the truths of the Word of God. We can’t receive more revelation than our foundation will hold. We must have a solid understanding of the Bible in order to verify the validity of any revelation we receive. And we must have a solid knowledge of who Jesus is in order to judge any revelation to see if it aligns with the character and nature of God.
Take time to read and study the Bible. Sit under those who teach it and don’t just give you a feel-good message. Find good Bible courses to take. Read books that teach the truths of the Bible and the basic doctrines of the Scriptures. However, don’t take anyone’s Word for what you hear or read- study the Word for yourself to determine if what you are learning is correct. And spend time getting to know Jesus personally. Worship Him daily. Talk with Him. Sit in His presence and just listen to what He is saying to your heart. These are the things you must do to build a good foundation.
Building a good foundation takes time and effort- it is not something where you can take shortcuts to get it done quickly. However, once you have invested time in building a sure foundation, you will have positioned yourself to receive much from the Lord.
