When the Rain Comes

Matthew 7:24-29

Most of us prefer sunny days.

We like blue skies, smooth roads, and easy seasons.

Very few people wake up and say, "I hope today is difficult."

Yet if we are honest, some of the most important growth in our lives happens during the storms.

The same is true in our faith.

Jesus concludes the Sermon on the Mount with a simple story.

A story about builders.

A story about houses.

A story about rain.

One man builds on rock.

One builds on sand.

Then the rain comes.

Notice something important.

Jesus never says the storm only comes to the foolish builder.

The storm comes to both.

The faithful person experiences storms.

The unfaithful person experiences storms.

The storm does not discriminate.

The question is never whether storms will come.

The question is what foundation we have when they arrive.

Solid Steps to Secure Foundations

Jesus begins:

"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock."

One of the surprising things about this story is that Jesus does not begin with the storm.

He begins with obedience.

Notice what He says.

Not everyone who hears.

Not everyone who agrees.

Not everyone who admires His teaching.

But everyone who hears His words and puts them into practice.

The difference between the builders is not information.

Both heard.

The difference is application.

One acted.

One did not.

That is an important reminder for the church today.

We live in a world overflowing with information. We can listen to sermons online. We can read devotionals. We can study Scripture in countless ways.

Yet Jesus says the foundation is not built by what we know.

The foundation is built by what we do with what we know.

Faith is not merely believing certain things about Jesus.

Faith is trusting Him enough to order our lives around His teachings.

That means forgiving when it is difficult.

Showing kindness when it is undeserved.

Serving when no one notices.

Praying when answers seem delayed.

Trusting when circumstances are uncertain.

Those daily acts of obedience are like stones placed one upon another, creating a foundation that can withstand the storms of life.

We Cannot Build a Storm-Proof Life

Many people spend their lives trying to avoid pain.

We try to create perfect plans.

Perfect schedules.

Perfect finances.

Perfect health.

Perfect relationships.

Yet life has a way of reminding us that none of those things are guaranteed.

A diagnosis arrives.

A loved one dies.

A job changes.

A friendship ends.

A child struggles.

The rain comes.

One of the hardest truths in life is realizing we cannot control everything.

But perhaps one of the greatest gifts of faith is discovering that God never asked us to control everything.

He simply asked us to trust Him.

Standing Firm in Life's Storms

Jesus continues:

"The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall."

Notice He never says if the rain comes.

He says when.

Storms are not evidence that God has abandoned us.

Storms are evidence that we live in a broken world.

The faithful get sick.

The faithful lose jobs.

The faithful experience grief.

The faithful face disappointment.

The storm comes to both houses.

The difference is not the storm.

The difference is the foundation.

From the outside, the two houses probably looked similar.

Good walls.

Good roof.

Good appearance.

The difference was underground.

The foundation.

That reminds me of an iceberg.

Most of an iceberg is hidden beneath the water.

What you see is only a small part of its reality.

Faith works much the same way.

The strength of your faith is not revealed when everything is going well.

It is revealed when everything is not.

Storms expose foundations.

A crisis often reveals what we truly trust.

Do we trust money?

Success?

Control?

Popularity?

Or do we trust Christ?

A few years ago, foresters studied trees after a severe storm.

Some large trees fell.

Others remained standing.

Researchers discovered that many of the fallen trees had surprisingly shallow roots.

They looked strong.

But their roots never went deep.

The trees that survived had deep root systems hidden beneath the ground.

No one could see them.

But those roots made all the difference.

Faith works the same way.

Prayer develops roots.

Worship develops roots.

Scripture develops roots.

Serving develops roots.

Trust develops roots.

Most of the important work of faith happens where nobody sees it.

And that unseen work prepares us for the storms we cannot predict.

Storms reveal what sunshine conceals.

When life becomes difficult, the roots beneath the surface become visible.

Shaky Foundations Lead to Ruin

Jesus then tells us about the second builder.

"Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand."

Something important is often missed here.

The foolish builder is not an atheist.

He is not someone who never heard about God.

He heard the same words as the wise builder.

He simply never allowed those words to shape his life.

His faith remained shallow.

His foundation remained weak.

His relationship with God stayed on the surface.

From the outside, the houses probably looked very similar.

The foolish house may even have looked impressive.

But appearance is not foundation.

Image is not substance.

Attendance is not discipleship.

Knowing about Jesus is not the same as building upon Jesus.

Faith that never moves beyond hearing eventually struggles when hardship arrives.

Jesus says that when the storm came, the house fell.

And great was its fall.

The tragedy is not that the builder lacked opportunity.

The tragedy is that he ignored it.

The invitation today is not guilt.

The invitation is growth.

Jesus invites us to dig deeper.

To pray more deeply.

To trust more completely.

To allow His words to shape our decisions, relationships, priorities, and daily lives.

Faith Is Not Proven in Sunshine

It is easy to trust God when life is good.

It is easy to sing when prayers are answered.

It is easy to feel hopeful when everything works out.

The true test comes when life doesn't cooperate.

The true test comes when prayers seem unanswered.

The true test comes when we do not understand.

Yet again and again, believers discover something remarkable.

God is often closest during the storm.

Not because God caused the storm.

But because God never abandons us in it.

Many of us can testify to this truth.

We survived things we never thought we could survive.

Not because we were strong.

But because God was faithful.

Sovereign Authority, Unshakable Trust

Matthew concludes with these words:

"When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority."

The crowd was amazed.

Not because Jesus was entertaining.

Not because He was clever.

They were amazed because He spoke with authority.

The religious teachers often quoted other teachers.

Jesus spoke as the source of truth itself.

That authority matters.

Because the foundation of our lives is only as strong as the one we trust.

If Jesus is merely a teacher, then His words are suggestions.

If Jesus is Lord, then His words become the foundation upon which we build everything.

The rock beneath the house is not our determination.

It is not our strength.

It is not our ability to hold everything together.

The rock is Christ Himself.

The One who calmed storms.

The One who endured the cross.

The One who walked out of the tomb.

The One who promises never to leave us nor forsake us.

Because Christ remains steady, we can stand firm even when everything else shakes.

The Rain That Helps Us Grow

As gardeners know, rain can feel inconvenient.

A picnic gets cancelled.

Plans change.

Mud appears.

Yet gardens need rain.

Without rain there is no growth.

Without rain there are no roots.

Without rain there is no harvest.

Sometimes the difficult seasons of life produce growth that easy seasons never could.

Patience develops.

Compassion grows.

Faith deepens.

Character forms.

Hope matures.

We would never choose those storms.

But God often uses them to shape us.

God does not waste the storms.

He uses them to deepen our roots and strengthen our faith.

Conclusion

Sooner or later, the rain comes.

The winds blow.

The floods rise.

Jesus never promised otherwise.

But He did promise that those who build their lives upon Him will stand.

Not because they are stronger than the storm.

But because the One beneath them is stronger than anything that comes against them.

Build deeply.

Trust fully.

Obey faithfully.

And when the rain comes—and it will—you will discover that Christ has been holding you all along.

For the One beneath you is stronger than the storm around you.

Thanks be to God.

Amen.