Castles In The Sand

   As a child and teenager, I would love to build sandcastles when we would go to the beach.. I've even made sand sculptures as well. I would love to sculpt and build the castle or object just the way I wanted it. But, if I didn't start the project correctly, it would not turn out right or most of the time, it would crumble. Is this not how the Lord does with us? The Lord tells us of building castles, or houses on the sand.

Matthew 7:24-27 and Luke 6:47-49 give the Lord's Parable of  two houses that were built. One was built upon a foundation of a rock, and the other was built on the earth, or the sand. There were great differences between the two, which ultimately led to completely different outcomes of each one.The Lord used the house upon the ROCK as the comparison for a spiritual or saved man, and the house on the sand as a lost man . Christ wants us to build our "house" according to HIS design. He gave us His blueprint in the parable.

 I Peter 2:4 says a saved man  is " also as lively stones , are built up a spiritual house." First in order to build a spiritual house we HAVE to have a solid foundation, or CORNERSTONE. The solid foundation and basis for that house is Jesus Christ Himself. Eph. 2:20 says, "Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone."  Luke 6:48 says the spiritual man "digged deep, and laid a foundation on a ROCK.". Our salvation and our life MUST be based and solely built upon the Lord HIMSELF! He is the ONLY FOUNDATION and no other will do. He is our Rock. 

Secondly, our house has to be COMPACT together. When I would put sand in my bucket or mold, it would have be be pushed down to compact it, or else when I tried to make it stand, it would crumble. Our spiritual house is the same. Ephesians 4: 16 speaks of the building of the church body and says "fitly joined together and COMPACTED.." This can be applied to our lives as well. We need to have everything in our life to be molded and kept together in the way the Saviour wants it to be. Is He not the potter, and we are the clay? (Jeremiah 18:6) Only He can make us according to His plans and can turn us into "spiritual house" He intends us to be. If we don't stay compact, or close to the Lord,  and go after our own heart's desires for our lives without following what HE WANTS, our plans will crumble. 

Lastly, our house has to be built in CHARITY, or love. Just as I would make a solid foundation for my castle, dig deep, and compact the sand in the mold, I would have to slowly, or lovingly, construct each part. "..that ye being rooted and grounded in LOVE, ....and to know the LOVE of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:17 & 19. It is not the Lord's intention to hurt or cause us injury in His plans for our lives.Both of the houses in this parable had the storms waters beat upon them. The difference in the houses though was the one stood and the other fell. Being saved will not make us exempt from trials and storms.But the difference is that the Lord lovingly molds and shapes us to what He wants us to be.He is our strength in the storm! This is how we can and will stand in them! He does so lovingly, and IN HIS TIME. He does not get in a hurry. "He hath made everything beautiful IN HIS TIME." Eccel.3:11a.  In return, we need to Love our Creator because He "first loved us."  I John 4:19. His love will "constrain", or keep us dead to our own desires and make us  want only what He wants for us." II Corinthians 5:14. 

Today may we let the Master Sculptor be the Cornerstone foundation of our lives. Let Him keep us Compacted , or close to Him and His Will for our lives. His Charity will be what holds us together in strength to stand for Him in this world, according to His Will. Let us be a beautiful display of His great transforming power as a "Castle in the Sand" as sung by the Booth Brothers  below.

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