When I think of sand my mind immediately is transported to the beaches of South Carolina or Florida.  Those were our favorite spots to vacation when our family was younger.  The squish of the wet cool sand between your bare toes felt like walking on air conditioning in that near tropic heat.  I love the beach and often felt like I would like to live right on the beach. 

            But there are also great dangers associated with the beach.  When tropical storms and hurricanes strike it is the place you most definitely don’t want to be.  And if a tsunami ever came then that is the worst place you could be.  So there are good and bad points of being on the beach.  Another danger is being bit or actually pinched by a crab.  That happened to our son, Jeremy once.  He was only a young boy but it was both hurtful and funny.

            Jesus told a story about the sand one time.  Now there are sands on the beach and there are also sands in the desert.  Because of the way Jesus related the story I believe He was referring to the beach sand.  Here is what He said:  “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:  and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.  But 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 7:24-27).   More than likely He was speaking of the sands along the river Jordan. During the summer months the water level of the river would go down exposing sandy shores and sand bars.  But during the rainy season the river raised rapidly covering over those sandy places and over-flowing the banks of the river.

            Building on those sand bars might be tempting.  The digging for the foundation would certainly be much easier.  But the foundation is false because it is on lose ground and there is no lasting strength to it.  When the rains begin to fall and the water begins to rise and the wind begins to blow that house is bound for disaster.  It will fall and as Jesus said, “Great is its fall.” 

            Jesus began this parable by saying “Whoever hears these sayings of Mine.”  Those sayings were of the Gospel – the Good News of salvation.  Jesus spoke of things illustrating our need for a Savior, our hope of a Savior and being made strong in our God by way of the Holy Spirit.

            There are those who talk of being saved and never having to be concerned with being lost again.  Then there are those who speak of being saved and then losing their salvation because they turned away from the Lord.  As with nearly all the teachings of man the truth lies somewhere in the middle.  There is a bit of truth to both sides.  When we get saved it is true that we are have an eternal security as long as we belong to God.  But if we willingly and blatantly turn our backs on the Gospel do we continue to be saved?  If we have conscientiously said in our hearts “I no longer want to be a Christian.  I no longer want to serve the God of Heaven.  I denounce Him and leave His presence” then do we still remain saved against our will?  I don’t think so.  It is a fool who makes such a decision yet there have been those who have done so. 

            Then there are those who make a false commitment to the Lord.  They see the need of salvation but only want to do what is necessary to “seal the deal.”  Are they truly saved?

            I fear that in both of these cases we are talking about those who have built on the sand.  They have built their homes on false security and when the rains and winds come their foundation is not sure and they will be washed away.

            Better it is to build on the rock which we will speak about next time.

Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.?  Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.