The Wise Man Built his house on the Rock
Written by Desirae Williams
Friday, April 6, 12
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: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 rockAnd 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: 24-27
Friday, April 6, 12
It is the parable of the Wise Man and the Foolish man who built their houses. Jesus started this parable by telling the congregation that whoever hear and do what he says, they will be like wise men. A wise person listens to what he is told. He obeys and make good decisions. He also think about what he’s going to do before doing it. The house in the parable represents a persons life. If you live your life wisely by obeying the laws of God then your life will always be protected and spared whenever trouble comes your way. Satan isn’t able to destroy your life, because God is your protector and your life is solidly built on the laws of God.
Friday, April 6, 12
A foundation must be: Sound- In good condition; not damaged, injured, or diseased Stable-Not likely to change or fail; firmly established Support-To hold in position so as to keep from falling, sinking, or slipping
Friday, April 6, 12
I learned about the importance of the foundation of your home. I also learned how important it is to take of the foundation of your home and looking for warning signs that your home foundation is in weak or in trouble. When you have a home you must take very good care of it’s foundation otherwise your home will be in serious trouble and when a home is built it is built from the ground up which means everything is laid on top of the foundation and if the foundation isn’t strong and stable your entire home is at risk! No one wants a home that is at risk and face problems like the house falling down on top of them because of a weak foundation. Therefore, the home’s owner must take especially good care of it’s bottom half (the foundation in which the home was built on top of) to ensure a strong and steady house.
Friday, April 6, 12
I believe the passage means that a person has a spiritual foundation (the beginning but very important part of their learning). When you are old enough to begin learning and understanding the things your parents teach you about God, some of the first things they teach you are the Lord’s prayer, the Commandments and the Testimonies. Those things would represent your foundation and you are the house. If the Lord’s prayer, the Commandments and the Testimonies are weak in your house (you) and you don’t care for them by practicing them everyday then you could become weaker and weaker (just like a real house) and eventually crumble, fall, or be destroyed! So, you must keep your foundation strong in order for you to become a very strong person in God. Always pray daily for strength, always remember and keep the commandments, and always use the testimonies in your life. This is your foundation and must take good care of it and keep it stable.
Friday, April 6, 12
A foolish man does not listen. He makes quick and bad decisions. He does not think before doing something because he only wants what looks good on the outside. His house was built on the sand in this parable. I know that you will find a lot of water near the sand. So, his house was probably a nice beach house. However, when troubles come to his house (which is life) it will be destroyed easily because it is not very strong. This person does not keep the laws of God. He does not obey the commandments of God so the Lord will allow Satan to destroy his life.
Friday, April 6, 12
Sand- Small loose grains of worn or rock. Erode - Gradually wear away; to gradually wear away. Sand- Small loose grains of worn or rock.
Friday, April 6, 12
I have read about the risks of building a home on sand dunes and why it is not a good idea. First, the movement of the sand in a sand dune (removal of vegetation along with the exposure of the wind) will cause for the wearing down of the sand dune and cause the foundation of a home built on sand to become very weak. Next, the location of your home built on sand may be at rise because if the sand dune in which you built your home on is very close to the sea, then your home becomes at risk during a storm. Even if your home is stable is still possible for storm waves to attack to the dunes and cause and put your home’s foundation at serious risk. Finally, I learned about the shake intensity of an Earthquake and how it depends on the harshness of the earthquake as to how strong the shakes will be. However, the most important part I learned about the shakes of an earthquake is that soft water and soiled sand will increase the shakes of the earthquake in that area. I don’t think it would be a good idea to build a house on sand dunes!
Friday, April 6, 12
I believe it would definitely be safer to build on rock rather than sand. After reading the dangers and risks of building on sand, building on rock will probably be more secure. Rocks are strong and steady and usually don’t stay in its place and don’t move. I have been living in my home for six years and we have four medium sized boulders, one very large boulder, and several small boulders (or pebbles) that have never moved out of place, ever! Even through the storms we have had (threatening of tornados, heavy blizzard, and bad thunderstorms, these boulders or huge rocks have never moved. So that tells me that a home built on rock will certainly be much safe than any home built on sand. Although the rocks in the pictures below looks very high in the sky and scary I would still build on rock vs sand (just not those particular rocks)! I learned that because sand can become soiled in the water, it will not hold very well and become a threat to your home when there is a terrible storm. Therefore, building on a sand would be a very brave idea, but not a very smart one!
Friday, April 6, 12
I believe the ways of the earth and its philosophies can be described as sand because sand changes. It can become eroded and soft. It basically can change with the weather. If God’s word does not change than it is definitely a rock. But the world is not very stable like God is. The world may change what they say and how they feel at any time. One of the worlds ways may become eroded and then they will change it to fit whatever the situation is currently. That is why the philosophies and ways of the world is like sand.
Friday, April 6, 12
The Impact of Floods Water damage-Water damage describes a large number of possible losses caused by water intruding where it will enable attack of a material or system. Erode - Gradually wear away; to gradually wear away.
Friday, April 6, 12
First hand accounts of flood damage “It’s not a good experience because the water smells, it causes mold, things float around in it, it ruins material things you have such as furniture, clothes, pictures, and ect.” Sister Vikki Elder
“When the flood first came they tried to get things it out, but it was too late. It was very bad for everyone and it made her feel sick. Everything in the basement was destroyed. It made me feel frustrated and helpless.” Sister Evelyn Elder.
Friday, April 6, 12
How do we protect ourselves from floods? This is how I would protect my spiritual house from a flood. My spiritual house is my life and the flood is Satan, so if Satan tries to “flood� my spiritual house that means he is trying to turn me away from God and he is trying to knock me off of my foundation.
Friday, April 6, 12
If I want to prevent that all I would have to do is to keep the laws of God in my heart, that will stay with me forever and if I keep them with me; Satan can never knock me down off my spiritual house which is my life. In conclusion if Satan is trying to flood your spiritual house all you have to do is keep those laws of God and he will never get to you because God will protect you.
Friday, April 6, 12
What I learned about building a home on sand dunes rather than rock; I learned that your home can be destroyed if you build it on a sand dune. If someone chooses to build their home in this way instead of something strong and durable such as rock, their home can be destroyed by natural disasters such as earthquakes. I also learned about how an earthquake in San Francisco, California destroyed many homes mainly from the fire that it caused as it shook the homes foundations.
Friday, April 6, 12
Spiritually, I learned that I should build my spiritual house, which is my life, on a good foundation and to never let Satan(which are those earthquakes and other troubles) knock me off my foundation (the commandments). My life should be sturdy and built upon God’s law.
Friday, April 6, 12