Matthew 7:24 “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:” Every builder knows that the strength of a structure is not found in the beauty of its walls, but in the stability of its foundation. In 1173, a bell tower began to rise in Pisa, Italy, meant to stand tall for centuries. But it was built on shallow footings and unstable soil. By the third story, it began to lean—a problem that has never been fully corrected. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a permanent monument to what happens when you build on the wrong foundation.
The truth is, we are all builders. Every day, by our choices, words, and priorities, we are constructing something with our lives— a marriage, a family, a career, a testimony, a future. The real question is not “Am I building?” but “What am I building on?”
Jesus closed His Sermon on the Mount with a vivid picture: two men, two houses, two foundations. On the surface, the homes may very well have looked the same. They may have been built with the same materials, in the same style, facing the same climate. But when the storms came—and Jesus said they would come—only one house stood. The difference wasn’t the weather; it was the foundation.
Christ compared the wise builder to the one who hears His Word and obeys it. Hearing truth isn’t enough. James 1:22 warns, “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only.” A man can own the best exercise equipment in the world, but if he never uses it, nothing changes. The same is true spiritually— truth unused is truth wasted.
A foundation that lasts must be anchored to something unshakable. In Biblical times, foundations began with a cornerstone. Even builders must get the corner perfectly square, because the rest of the structure was aligned to it. The Bible calls Jesus the chief cornerstone (Isaiah 28:16; Ephesians 2:20). Without Him, there is no true stability. With Him, even in the fiercest storms, we can stand. As 1 Corinthians 3:11 declares, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Any other base—religion, morality, wealth, popularity— is just sand.
By the way, no one can make the choice to choose the right foundation for you. Parents can guide children, but they can’t live their faith for them. Faith must be your own.
Building on the right foundation does not exempt us from storms. Life will bring rain from above—sudden trials like sickness or grief. It will bring floods from below— pressures that rise without warning, like financial collapse or emotional strain. And it will bring winds from every direction—criticism, temptation, spiritual attack. These storms are certain, severe and revealing. They don’t create weakness; they expose it. For the wise man, storms confirmed the strength of his house. For the foolish man, storms revealed its fragility.
The foolish builder heard the same truth but refused to obey it. Proverbs 1:7 reminds us, “Fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Sand may look fine on sunny days, but it shifts under pressure. Many today build their lives on wealth, relationships or reputation. But storms do not care about appearances. Jesus said of the foolish man’s house, “Great was the fall of it.”
Two men. Two houses. Two foundations. One stood. One fell. The storms will come to your life. The question is, when they do, will you stand or will you fall?
Build your life, your marriage, your family, and your eternity on the Solid Rock—Jesus Christ. All other ground is sinking sand.
