But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.

Matthew 7:26-27

The Message

As we approached these domes by jet ski, I thought these domes might be part of some ancient ruins. Turns out, their history doesn’t go back as far as I thought.

In 1980, Bob Lee set out to build his dream beach house on an island just south of Marco Island, Florida. He seemed to think of everything. The dome-design provided superior protection from hurricanes. Utilities ran on solar power. A cistern below the domes held rain water and filtered it back into the house for showers.

When completed in 1982, the Cape Romano dome house was the ultimate green home, valued at an estimated $1.5 million.

Today, two of the six domes sit under water.

Why?

Well, he built the house on sand.

While the structure itself could withstand the hurricanes, the island couldn’t. It began to erode, leaving the house partly underwater.

My teen piped up: “Well, they probably didn’t know they shouldn’t build houses on sand back then.”

I rolled my eyes at the thought of 1982 seeming ancient. Then I answered, “Well, they would have if they had read the Bible.”

Isn’t that true about a lot of things?

I think that’s the point of this parable. We read God’s Word. We listen to God’s Word. Yet we fail to apply it. We sign up for Bible studies. We even do the work. Yet our life doesn’t change. Could it be that we’re just soaking up new truths without applying them? Then we’re surprised when we experience consequences of disobedience or our faith falters.

Lord, show me areas in my life where I know Your Word but fail to put it into practice. Open my eyes and help me to change.

Stacy