The Horrible Pit

 Psalm 40:2
He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

The horrible pits of life are often of our own doing. We make decisions without seeking God first and often find ourselves in a pit of despair. But everyone before coming to Christ finds themselves in the horrible pit of sin, trapped in the miry clay and unable to get out. But Jesus reaches down, takes hold of our hand and pulls us up and out of the pit. He alone has the power to bring us out. He not only brings us out, but He also will help us from falling back into the pit. He wants to establish us on the solid Rock and give us the power to walk and follow Him. He does not want us to live in the pit of sin, He desires that we live blameless and holy. The devil will set traps along the way, and sometimes he is successful, but even if we are snared by one of his traps, the hand of Jesus still reaches down to lift us up and out. Life is full of different kinds of pits, but no matter the kind of pit we are in, He will not leave us there, He will bring us out, and set us on the solid Rock and establish us in the way He wants us to go.

The Rock Higher Than I

 Psalm 61:2
From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

A popular church hymn, “The Rock That is Higher than I.” was written in 1871 by Erastus Johnson during a time of financial loss. Many have found financial security in the assets they have accumulated over the years, The want of food, shelter, and comfort is always available, and never denied. Their trust is no longer placed in God to supply their needs, they have put their trust in human strength and determination to achieve wealth and prosperity. There is no doubt that such virtues contribute to worldly success and gain, but history has taught us that God is in control, and He is sovereign, and is ultimately the One who is threading the fabric of life. Erastus Johnson realized this when all was lost, and He turned to the Rock who He knew would not sink. The Rock that was higher than the circumstance and struggles of the day. The world around us can change in a moment's notice, but God does not change, He is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. We can put our trust in Him, and stand on the solid rock. We can flee to the Rock that will not be shaken and will not move. When life is overwhelming, we serve a God who knows and understands our hurts and struggles. “To the Rock let me fly, to the Rock that is higher than I!”

Wisdom From Above

 Prov. 3:18
She (wisdom) is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are those who hold on to her.
To be truly wise, one must know wisdom. The Bible speaks of the wisdom of this world, and the wisdom from above. They are not the same. The wisdom of this world is grounded in humanity, and the welfare and the success of man. Choices that gain riches and material gain for this life. What is expedient and advantageous. Jesus talks about building your life on a firm foundation. The person who has wisdom will build it on a solid rock, a foolish person will build it on the sand (wisdom of this world). The wisdom from above is life from God. It is focused on doing what is right and not what is expedient. Following the wisdom of God will many times go contrary to the thinking of the world, it is wisdom that will lead to eternal life. Wisdom from God is to have Christ the center of life choices. For in Him we have life and have it more abundantly, it is finding happiness and fulfillment in Him, something the wisdom of this world cannot give. 
“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”- Matt 7:24

We Will Not Be Shaken

Psalm 62
My soul waits in silence for God alone; From Him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I will not be greatly shaken. 

Earthquakes bring fear and uncertainty. They shake the ground we stand on and the things around us fall into disarray. Our world also shakes around us and life seems to come tumbling down. Loved ones pass away unexpectedly, the loss of work, relationships fall apart, our freedoms in our country are being attacked, and  the cares of life press on us leaving us in distress. We have a rock, a stronghold that will not be shaken. He alone is able to keep us from all that will hurt us. He is our salvation, and in Him we can trust that all will be well, we will not be shaken, we are in the palm of His hand.

Build on the Rock

 Luke 6:48
He is like a man which built a house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

Hard times will come. Christian are not exempt from the rain and floods that make havoc in our lives. Jesus compares our lives to a house that is exposed to the elements of the weather. The rain falls on the just and unjust, and at times the storms bring the floor waters that hit our house with such force that homes that have questionable foundations will fall. The foundation is broken down and starts to crumple, causing the house to fall and be swept away. Homes that are left standing are the ones that have been built on a solid foundation, a foundation that is founded on the Rock. The Rock in none other than Jesus Himself. He is the way, the truth, and the life, no man can come to the Father except through Him. Being grounded and settled in the Rock is not done by accident, it requires a willful obedience to the truth and a willingness to follow His will. Claiming Christ is the start of building this foundation, but it is a building process. If the foundation is sure, and the house we build follows the blueprint of His word, we can be assured that the storms of life will not bring ruin and disaster to our life.

He Is Precious

1 Peter 2:7a Unto you therefore which believe he is precious…

Precious: “something of great value, not to be wasted or treated carelessly” He is the main cornerstone of our spiritual life. A precious stone that we depend on and basic to living this Christian life. He is the solid rock, the foundation that is laid as we build our spiritual house. As the cornerstone, he holds our life together, fitly frames to stand during test of time. He is treasure of great pearls. Without Him, Christianity would be just another religion with some good moral teaching, but He bring religion to a whole new level. He is precious because he breathes new life into every believer. To those who believe that He is precious will not be led astray. Hold firm to the living stone as we build our spiritual house here on earth

House Built On The Rock

Matt. 7:25 …A wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

The measure of wisdom is determine on the source of truth. Jesus, the spoken word is the foundation of all that is true. The house we our building is the life we live in this earthen vessel. The choices we make in life will determine whether we have been wise or foolish. Does our “house” still stand when the testing of life assault us? If we have lived our lives in Christ, then we can be assured that our foundation will not crumble beneath us. He is the rock in which we have built our life on. Other foundations may look solid and have deceived many. Jesus, who the rock in which we build our house is the only sure foundation that will not crumble when the storms of life hit. Build your house on Christ, the solid Rock and you will not be sorry.