Matthew 7:24-27
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.
Luke 6:46-49
Why do you call me, "Lord, Lord," and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.
Both Matthew and Luke relate this story Jesus told the people. They all had been listening to His whole Sermon on the Mount, and He is challenging them to take to heart all the life principles He just told them, life choices that can be very difficult to consistently apply in our lives.
We need to make the effort, though, and rely on His strength to do it. If we don't think we can, and just give up trying, then we will face the consequences. Both houses were subjected to the same rains, floods, winds, and torrents of life. Both houses (lives) were built to satisfy the builders' needs and wants, and were both furnished satisfactorily. The only difference was the foundations that were under them. The one had the Rock, Jesus, as a foundation, and the other had sand or ground, the world's philosophies, under it.
It doesn't matter which of this world's philosophies you choose to undergird your life, they are all as shifting as sand in the whirlwinds of life. The only firm foundation for our living every day is our trust in Christ Jesus, The Rock, who came to take our debt on Himself. He is the Maker of this Earth and everything in it, and He gave us His written Word as the Manufacturer's Instructions to guide us in our dealings with everything we encounter in this world, including one another.
When we know God, we recognize His holy and pure Character, and follow His rules in our treatment of one another and use of finances, and attitudes toward everything in this life; then we will be cooperating with how He designed this World to work, and thereby enjoy the results of obeying His commandments. We can no more "break" one of His natural laws, as "break" one of His moral laws--we only break ourselves on them, and do harm to one another.
So continue to read my blog, go back to my previous entries, and learn how to form God's thoughts in our own minds, to see life through His eyes, and do the "work" God wants us to do. Then He will bless us with His peace, regardless of the storms that swirl around us.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
No comments:
Post a Comment