What lasts?

Back to that thought about the wise man building his house on the rock. Conforming his 'house' to the shape of the rock. And then the house will be unshakable no matter how high the water rises, or how hard the wind blows. And that's what we want. Really. We really don't want things to go our way. It's just that we think out things and figure that our plan is a pretty good one and will endure the strains of life. We aren't the wisest life-constructors and shouldn't really trust all of our instincts.

I read this quotation this morning: "Genuine faith is tested by suffering; false faith will be lost. And that is a gift; the sooner the better."

At first I thought it was sort of mean...like, get the posers out of the room! But then I realized that it is a kind gift of God to expose in my life where my faith is not real. Where I have a different hope than a hope in God. Where I have 'heard God's words and didn't do them' and shortcutted my house/life's foundation in shifting sand. Because He knows that storms and wind will blast my life. He knows how hard my house/life will be shaken. And He cares that my house/life will be tested and found genuine. The sooner I find a false faith, the sooner I can re-orient myself to God.

Piper says, 'if all hell breaks lose in your life and you struggle with unbelief, it is a good to take the time to re-believe.' A good time, indeed.