Scripture often calls us to think long-term. Jesus spoke of the wise man who “built his house on the rock,” so that when the rain fell and the floods came, “it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock” (Matthew 7:24–25 NKJV). Paul informed us that “…no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). The picture is clear: The Christian life is not a quick project but a lifetime of building on Christ—hearing His words and putting them into practice. That steady faithfulness is not glamorous, but it is what lasts.
That is also where true joy is found. The Sermon on the Mount begins with “Blessed are…” (Matthew 5:3–12). Those ‘‘blessed” statements are promises of deep, enduring happiness for those who belong to God and walk in His ways. That blessedness does not come from getting our own way or by avoiding all hardship; it comes from trusting that Jesus’ words are true, good and shaping our lives around them. When we forgive, speak truth, show mercy, pursue purity and seek peace because He has spoken, we are not just doing our duty, but we are entering into the kind of life Jesus called “blessed.”
Scripture encourages us not to grow weary in this work. “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58). “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name” (Hebrews 6:10). Every quiet act of obedience and every simple decision to trust Christ and follow His teaching is another stone laid on the right foundation. Build what lasts and take courage. The Lord sees, He remembers, and in Him there is a joy the storm cannot take away.
