In 1985 the largest sand castle in the world was completed near St. Petersburg, Florida. It was four stories tall!

The sun beating down, bright and hot. A light breeze. Waves lapping against the shore. Cool, wet sand pushing up through your toes as you walk. There’s nothing quite like a day at the beach.

Remember those first seashore visits and sand castle building attempts? Mom or Dad helped you scoop out sand with a plastic shovel and bucket. Then you dumped it and together shaped the pile with your hands into a “castle.” As you got older, you used the tools yourself and built even bigger ones. You may have even built a sand “fort” that you could sit in.

But have you ever seen those huge sand sculptures built by professionals? They’re amazing. The world record sand castle was bigger than a house—four floors.

Whether small buildings made by turning over sand-packed cups, or huge world-class fortresses, all of these sand structures have this in common: they don’t last. Wind and waves quickly wipe them out.

No wonder Jesus used sand to make an important point. He said that building one’s life on the wrong foundation is foolish and like building a house on sand—it will crumble. Instead, we should be wise, and build on solid rock. The right foundation makes all the difference.

And Jesus explained that the only solid foundation for life includes listening carefully to him and then doing what he says. Jesus said that to do otherwise would be foolish: “But anyone who hears my teaching and ignores 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 fall with a mighty crash” (Matthew 7:26, 27).

How’s your foundation?

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock” (Matthew 7:24).

To Do

Ask someone who is a builder, an architect, or a construction worker to tell you about foundations.

Also on this day . . .

This is National Cracker Day.

1758—James Monroe, the fifth President of the United States, was born in Westmoreland County, VA.

1914—W.H. Carrier patented the design of his air conditioner.

1985—The largest sand castle in the world was completed near St. Petersburg, FL. It was four stories tall.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005). Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.