[Darris McNeely] America has been focused upon the horrendous natural catastrophe of Hurricane Harvey that has struck Houston, Texas and that part of the Gulf Coast of the United States of America. It has been, again, another major hit of a hurricane on America’s coast that has created a loss of life as well as a tremendous loss of property and income. As we look at the non-stop coverage that is on the cable news in America, and you see the stories of people – you see people coming up out of the water, being rescued – you see the human suffering, the loss of property. You also see heroic tales of people, volunteers in their boats, on their jet skis, going out, rescuing people out of attics, off of rooftops, bringing them to safety, people opening up shelters, people doing what they can. Corporate donations going into the area. Which brings us to something that we should always remember: unexpected events will hit us. Hurricanes are going to hit our own personal life.

Christ talked about that in Matthew chapter 7, after He gave very basic instruction about Christianity and how to deal with things, the end of what is called the Sermon on the Mount, beginning in verse 24. He talked about this, regarding people who would hear what He had to say. “Whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24). Christ had given basic teaching, and He wanted His disciples – and He wants us today, as we read these – to understand that there are going to be things that hit our life, and the only preparation beyond candles and kerosene and maybe a generator, and maybe some food stored up, which are reasonable steps for us all to take to meet a natural disaster – but when it comes to what’s going to happen in our life spiritually, and to test our character, it is the teachings of Jesus Christ, it is the word of God, that is going to help us get through that.

He said, “I will liken that person who does what I say to one who built his house upon a rock.” In verse 25 He said, “The rain descended, the floods came, and winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.” And that Rock is Jesus Christ, it is God the Father, it is the word of God and the relationship we build with our God that helps us to anchor our lives on that rock. But He says, “Everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall” (Matthew 7:25-27).

How about your house? Is it built on sand? Or is it built on rock? And most importantly, is it built on the Rock, which is a relationship with Jesus Christ? The floods will come to our life. The cyclones will hit, the hurricanes and the floods and the waters will rise through some event at some point in our life. That’s guaranteed. But we can have the strength to deal with it and to endure it and to be standing when it all subsides, if we’re tied into a relationship with the Rock – and your house, my house, built upon that Rock. Very important lesson for us to take as we look at the catastrophe of Hurricane Harvey, what has happened in Houston, and what may yet happen in the future in other locations, and learn a lesson from life and from nature and the word of God.

That’s BT Daily. Join us next time.