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Bible Reading Plan

Reading Plan:  Psalm 127

Unless the Lord builds the house,
    the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
    the guards stand watch in vain.
In vain you rise early
    and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
    for he grants sleep to^[a] those he loves.

Children are a heritage from the Lord,
    offspring a reward from him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
    are children born in one’s youth.
Blessed is the man
    whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
    when they contend with their opponents in court.

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Daily Devotional: When You’re Surrounded by Sand

“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

I’m surrounded by wise builders every spring and fall at Camp Paradise. For five decades, faithful men and women have followed Jesus into the wilderness to carve out space for campers to connect with God and each other. One of the biggest challenges to building in the eastern Upper Peninsula is the limited availability of rock, a surplus of sandy soil, and intense storms. But just because you’re surrounded by sand doesn’t mean you can’t build something solid with God and for God—that lasts. Trust me, you’ve got to check out Camp Paradise’s origin story—it’s epic! Watch the 16-minute documentary and 50-year history timeline at willowcreek.org/camp50. You’ll get a glimpse of what stands the test of time when you literally put Jesus’ words into practice.

You and I are surrounded by shifting sand and powerful storms every day—relationally, professionally, economically, culturally, politically, and religiously. Jesus was too. He took the weight of the world on His shoulders for us so that we can find strong shelter in relationship with the heavenly Father. But that doesn’t give us a pass to hide and take it easy. The Sermon on the Mount concludes with clear instructions to build wisely not foolishly, to get serious about putting our faith in action. What we believe needs to be tested to demonstrate that it’s true and truly transformational in us and the world. Merely reading the Bible or slapping a quippy bumper-sticker truth on our car isn’t the same as joining God, anchoring our lives in Him, and building upon a firm foundation. We need to practice what Jesus said to discover firsthand that it can withstand shifting sand and powerful storms.

Whenever the thunder rolls in before a downpour at Camp Paradise, I’m confident that God is with me in the storm. My heart is also encouraged because wise builders surround me, so that where I live and work has a firm foundation for ministry to grow. Jesus’ message about building wisely on rock instead of foolishly on sand still applies today. Even when you’re surrounded by sand, you can still set a solid footing to build upon. God is with us and guides us. His church is full of fellow adventurers putting faith into action. Let’s start putting what we know to be true into practice as we follow Christ to love God, love people, and change the world.

Next Steps

What shifting sand and powerful storms surround you this week? What truth from the Sermon on the Mount does God invite you to practice in your situation? Revisit Matthew 5-7 and talk with a trusted friend about your plan to put faith in action.