Have you ever sung the Sunday school song about the foolish man who built his house upon the sand? You’ll remember, it says when the storm came his house fell flat because it was not built on the rock. Karina once learned just how that foolish man felt.
Karina’s house was not built on the sand; it was built right on the ground without a foundation. This was not because Karina’s family was foolish or lazy, but because they were very poor. They could not afford to buy bricks and cement. They lived in the tropics of Bolivia and made their house out of adobe (mud) bricks that had been dried in the sun.
It rained often in the town where Karina and her family lived, so it was not long before the mud bricks became much softer than they had once been. Karina’s father had died, and now her mother had no one to help her decide how best to spend her money. Instead of repairing the house, she used the money she had to buy some new furniture, a T.V. and a new fan imported from Japan.
During the rainy season the ground all around Karina’s house became soft and wet. One morning Karina’s mother realized her mistake. She should have repaired her house, but it was too late. That morning they had to call the power company to disconnect the power, and Karina helped her mother move the new furniture out of the house. In the afternoon the house fell into the street. There they stood with the furniture, outside, for everyone to see their mistake. This must have been how the foolish man felt in the song we sing!
It’s not hard to see the mistake Karina’s family made, but the Bible says plainly that those who do not obey God’s Word are just like the foolish man who built his house on the sand. “Whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto 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. And every one that heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:24-2724Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25And 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. 26And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. (Matthew 7:24‑27)). If you spend all your time just to have fun, go places and buy things without thinking about God, then your life is like Karina’s house. It has no foundation and the fun times you planned will not be a help to you when you must leave this world. No one stays here forever.
You can build your life upon the Word of God by first coming to the Lord Jesus for salvation. The Bible says, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:1212Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)).
The Word of God is the only solid foundation for your life. Do not try to live without it — do not build your life on the sand. The Lord Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:3535Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. (Matthew 24:35)). Anything else you try to build your life on will fall — just like the foolish man’s house, and just like Karina’s house.
The Bible stands though the hills may tumble,
It will firmly stand when the earth shall crumble;
I will plant my feet on its firm foundation,
For the Bible stands.