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by Precarious Yates
Narrated by Artificial Intelligence
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““Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.””
Matthew 7:24-27 NIV
Stories are powerful, and Jesus knew the power of storytelling. Stories help each person tap into the deeper meaning of spiritual life and understanding. Stories contain metaphors, which are the greatest common denominators that speak to the soul and spirit of a person. Our souls are made up of mind, will, and emotion. Our spirits, when they’ve been awaken by the Lord through salvation, are the seats of conscience, wisdom, and communion. Jesus’ parables touch the soul, but they go beyond that. Jesus’ parables incorporated images and metaphors that bypass language, entering into a realm of pure wisdom, conscience and communion—beckoning our spirits to awaken to truth. This truth is Jesus Christ and all the promises that are yes and amen through Him.
Jesus’ story here about two houses employs powerful metaphors.
One house is built on the Rock, which Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 10 is Christ. I’m not a builder or a carpenter, but I have played with LEGOs, and I know from this how important a solid foundation can be. And I know that it requires a whole lot more insurance to cover a house built on a beach or a flood plain than it does to cover a house built on a hilltop. Winds might blow off some shingles on a hilltop house, and waters may reach the porch, but winds and waves will demolish a house on the sand. I’ve even seen videos of beach houses carried out to sea during a hurricane. In the same way, the current weather conditions in society, with all the descent into lawlessness, it’s like a tropical storm. Churches and denominations will continue to split. Families split over issues in the news or over politics. The waves will pound. The winds will beat against the house. People will be tossed to and fro by the winds and waves, or they will be anchored in Christ and His love and have peace in the center of it.
The Father loves us so much that He gave us an anchor: the Rock of ages upon which we can build our lives. Jesus tells us the benefits of building our lives upon this Rock. Jesus said this to Peter, which means “Rock” in Greek. He said that upon this “Rock” I will build my church. The Greek gives us the insight that the second word for “Rock” is different from the first. The first, Peter’s name, is masculine. The second word for “Rock” is feminine, indicating that the revelation that Jesus is Christ, the Messiah, our Savior, is the ROCK we build the Church on.
He also, in His love, warns us what happens when we do not build our lives on His promises, His teachings and His Word.
This parable from Jesus, about building our house upon the ROCK, teaches us that storms of life do hit us regardless of whether we are righteous or not. Hurricane Idalia didn’t pause its fury for the righteous. Just so, life’s storms come no matter what. Jesus teaches us how to weather the storms.
In the first century, teachings circulated that equated terrible events with God’s wrath. Jesus wanted to assure us that God still loves us no matter the circumstances, and we can anchor ourselves into His love to weather the storms.
The Captives
May we find ourselves anchored in the peace of Christ which passes all understanding!
The captives will only be free when Shunda loses his fears about who he is. Yet what Shunda fears more than anything is loneliness.
Qoshonni figures she has become too violent and will never come back from the brink that the MerKing has pushed her to.
Mookori knows his father loves him best, but this has no consolation as war invades the shores of his father’s kingdom.
The Heart of the Caveat Whale is an epic trilogy that takes place both under water and on land. Book 1, The Captives, in the beginning of a journey into joy and terror. Sea monsters abound, as does the valor of both simple folk and nobles alike.
About the Author:
Precarious Yates has lived in 8 different states of the Union and 3 different countries, but currently lives in Texas with her husband, her daughter and their big dogs. When she’s not writing, she enjoys music, teaching, playing on jungle gyms, praying and reading. She holds a Masters in the art of making tea and coffee and a PhD in Slinky® disentangling.
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