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A Wise Foundation

Written By: Danny Saavedra

“By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established.”—Proverbs 24:3 (NASB)

My four-year-old son often likes to stack his stuff and make towers. Sometimes it’s building blocks, but usually it’s Play-Doh cans. Now, what do you think would happen if he stacked up nine cans on the couch? It would come tumbling down because the foundation isn’t solid enough. What if he put a mini can on the bottom and stacked five bigger cans on top of it? It would quickly topple over because—again—the foundation was weak.

Marriage is a lot like stacking Play-Doh cans. If it’s not built on solid ground, with a firm foundation, chances are it’s going to be wobbly. Now, you may be asking yourself, “What is a solid foundation for marriage?” Well, I’m glad you asked! It’s the same as the solid foundation for life!

Proverbs 24:3 tells us that a house is built by wisdom and established by an understanding of how to apply that wisdom. If you flip back a few pages to Proverbs 9:10, you’ll find that wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord. In this instance, the Hebrew word for fear (yirah) implies wonder, amazement, reverence, gratitude, admiration, and worship of the Lord.

When you live your life in the fear of the Lord, understanding who He is, who you are, and who you are in Him, it permeates every aspect of your life; it changes your heart and your perspective, it impacts your decision-making, it impacts your relationships. And in your marriage, when both you and your spouse have centered your life on Christ, and abide in Christ, the foundation on which your marriage is built will be stronger than any trial or tragedy.

Consider with me the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:24–27 (NLT): “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

So, if you’re single, what will you build your future marriage on? If you’re married and haven’t made Christ and the fear of the Lord the center of your marriage, it’s not too late! Make today the day you rebuild your foundation!

DIG: Do a word search for wisdom on a Bible reference site. 

DISCOVER: How can you apply this into your marriage?

DISPLAY: If you’re married, sit with your spouse today and pray for the Lord’s wisdom on your marriage. If you’re single, pray that the Lord pour His wisdom into you as you seek to build your foundation firmly on Him.