Castle in the Sand

Bible Reading: Luke 6:47-49

“Better hurry up and build a wall around your castle,Tess! The tide is coming in,” said Beckham. “One big wave and it’ll be washed away.”

“Will you help me? Please?” begged Tess, handing her brother a pail and shovel. Water washed around her feet and then went back toward the ocean, just missing the castle.

“I told you to build it farther from the water,” said Beckham as he added a pailful of damp sand to the wall. “We won’t be able to save it. Those waves are coming up fast!”

Beckham was right. There was no time to protect the castle. Waves washed up on shore, and a big chunk from the front side of the castle washed back into the sea. A shovel Tess had dropped beside the castle was carried along with it. “My shovel!” exclaimed Tess. She chased after it into the water.

Beckham shook his head. “That castle is history.” Tess frowned as she stood looking at her destroyed masterpiece. “Your castle looked awesome, but you built it in a place where it couldn’t stand up against the rising water,” said Beckham. He grinned. “Just like the foolish man!”

“Huh?” said Tess. “What foolish man?”

“You know,” said Beckham. “The one in the story Jesus told about the two men who built houses. The wise man built his house on rock, but the foolish man built his on sand and it got washed away. Then Jesus said to be like the wise man and build your life on the rock.”

Mom smiled as she listened. “And how do you do that?” she asked.

“By admitting that you’re a sinner and trusting Jesus to save you,” said Beckham. “When you do that, He becomes the one you build your life on.”

Mom nodded. “Right. The Bible refers to Jesus as the Rock. When you build your life on Him, you’re building on a firm, stable foundation, just like the wise man in the story. Building your life on anything else—like money or fun or what other people think of you—is like building a castle in the sand. It all gets washed away.”

–Nance E. Keyes

How About You?

Are you building your life on the Rock or on sand? Is your life centered on having lots of money or fun or friends? Or are you standing firm in the love of Jesus, no matter what life brings you? The world says having a good life means getting everything you want, but the Bible says the only way to truly have life is through Jesus. Are you building your life on Him? If not, trust in Him today. (To learn more, click the “Good News!” button in the right column of this page or go to www.keysforkids.org/goodnews.)

Today’s Key Verse:
1 Corinthians 3:11 No one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. (NLT)

Today’s Key Thought:

Build your life on Jesus