Jesus asked, "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is 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. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the [sand] without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete" (Luke 6:46-49).

On our recent trip to Savannah, I was excited and privileged to accompany my granddaughter on her first trip to the beach. We talked for days about going to the "big water" and seeing the waves and how they would feel. I bought her some sand toys to play with on the beach. As we walked up the path to the dunes, I kept telling her, "In just a second, we're gonna see the big water!" Too excited to keep the pace she wanted to keep with her little legs, she said, "Hold you me," and held up her little arms for me to carry her. When we got over the dune and the panorama of the whole Eastern Atlantic opened up before her, she didn't even perceive "the big water," only the sand and what she could do with her sand toys. I contemplated this for a long time that day, and finally came to the conclusion that "the big water" was just too much for her 20-month-old mind to comprehend. The sand was something with which she was relatively familiar from the sandbox at daycare. She knew what to do with it, she could manipulate it, and she could hold it (at least in small amounts), and that was all she was interested in doing. It wasn't until she saw her mother and me (one at a time--one of us stayed with her) walking down to the water, getting our legs wet, splashing a little in the waves, that she became interested at all in trying that out. When she did, she loved it, and before the day was over, we had a real little "beach bunny."

We can be like that with God. He really is way too big for our mortal minds to understand--a Being who operates out of space and time, the One who created everything out of nothing, the God who is bigger and mightier than the deepest ocean or the highest mountain--so we turn to what we can understand, what we can feel, manipulate, hold in our hands. We want explanations and predictions and human knowledge to get us through, and very often it leaves us unsatisfied. When we observe others operating in faith, hope and love, we are drawn by the desire to "get our feet wet."  It is only when we wade in that we can get a concept of "the big water."

When Simon Peter confessed to Jesus, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God," Jesus told him, "On this rock I will build my church." Peter's confession of faith is the foundational principle, the rock, that upholds all Christianity. Without it, no matter how much we learn or explain, manipulate or hold in our hands, we have built our lives upon the sand. Until we lift our eyes beyond humanity to behold Him, we can never understand "the big picture." As we hear about Jesus and are drawn by the Holy Spirit to Him, we desire to dig deeper into the word and into a prayerful relationship with Him, and He begins to build our foundation of rock. I Corinthians 13:11-12 says, "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man I put childish ways behind me. Now we see a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." In a crisis of health, finances, realtionships, accomplishments, it is far too easy to turn to what we know instead of to "the Rock," but He alone holds the future."Considre it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds because the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind" (James 1:4-6). 

Edward Mote penned it quite effectively in 1834 when he wrote:

My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus' blood and righteousness.

I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly trust in Jesus' Name.

On Christ the solid rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness seems to hide His face, I rest on His unchanging grace.

In every high and stormy gale, My anchor holds within the veil.

On Christ the solid rock I stand, All other ground is sinkng sand, All other ground is sinking sand.

His oath, His covenant, His blood, Support me in the whelming flood.

When all around my soul gives way, Then He is all my hope and stay.

On Christ the solid rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand.

Lord Jesus, help me to reach out my hand to those You send to me today, and show them how much fun "the big water," "the Living Water," can be, and give them the desire to jump on in and experience You. Help us all to build our foundations on the rock--the revelation that You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and teach us to do what You say. Amen