When Floodwaters Rise

In 1986 I accepted a job in St. Louis, Missouri. The movers packed up everything I owned and loaded it all on the large moving van. The following day, I hit the road with a few clothes and essential belongings that would tide me over until the moving van arrived at the condo I leased in the beautiful community of Lake Saint Louis. I grew up in a small town so this little community, forty miles west of St. Louis, was perfect for me.

One of the first things I noticed about Missouri was the precipitation that appeared suddenly in all shapes and forms. Snow, sleet, ice storms, rain, thunderstorms, and tornados seemed to pop up with regularity. As my friend Nancy, who recently moved to Tennessee, remarked, “Weather is a thing here.” I can confirm that “Weather is a thing in Missouri” as well! When I was a kid, the town I lived in averaged three inches of rain a year; now I lived in a place that could have three inches of rain in a day. I’m sure I saw ducks wearing galoshes and carrying umbrellas on really wet days!

One year was particularly wet. A series of storms caused the Missouri River to overflow its banks, resulting in road closures and large areas of land to be flooded with angry, murky water. The highway I typically drove to work on was literally underwater for miles as well as the farms and houses along the way.

The memory of this event caused me to think about floods. Floods are generally seen as totally negative. They are dangerous and can result in the loss of life. Property is damaged or lost entirely. Surprisingly, floods are good for the land. As the water spills over the banks of rivers into new areas, rock, soil, and sand are redistributed. Floods clear the land and prepare it for a new beginning. The devastation gives way to new growth.

I began to consider the Bible story about the house built on solid rock and the house built on sand. Without faith in God, everything is destroyed and floods of hurt, disappointment, and other trials are overwhelming. A house without a firm foundation crumbles. When I place my trust in Jesus, I am safe within the shelter built on the solid rock of His sacrifice for my sins. I can see that flood waters may wash away things in my life that are not good for me or distract me from God’s presence, but my faith stands strong. He floods me with His mercy as He prepares me for new growth in my life.

I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.” – Luke 6:47-49 (NLT)

On Christ, the solid rock, I stand!