Matthew 7 - 8.1.24
Matthew 7:24-27
S - 24 “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. 25 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. 26 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. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
O – Here we read about the parable of two builders. Jesus teaches the importance of building our house on solid ground. We’re all building our lives on something. When everything is going well and life is great, a weak or shaky foundation won’t reveal itself. But how often is everything going great?! In MY world, and probably yours too..... stress, anxiety, problems, and struggles come at us almost daily, if not hourly. I’ve been working with the hourly the past couple months. Those are the times when the winds are really blowing and the rain is beating down on our houses. Those are also the times when we will become aware of just how firm our foundation is – or isn’t.
A - The “house” we are building is a metaphor for our whole lives. It represents our faith, our jobs, our relationships, our health, etc. The entire house must rest on a solid foundation, not just a few parts. It’s very easy for us to compartmentalize our lives without even being aware of it. Instead of an organic whole, our lives look more like colorful pie charts with hard lines dividing the sections.
We go to church on Sundays, and we may even participate in a weekly Bible study or small group. A daily quiet time of study and prayer is part of our routine. We feel like that “slice of our pie” is strong. We’ve checked the boxes, we are “doing fine” there. And then we consciously or unconsciously leave Jesus in His pie slice. We move on to our vocational slice, our parenting slice, or our recreational slice, and leave our faith completely out. It’s as though we don’t think Jesus has anything to do with those areas. But He has everything to do with them!
Some troubles are small, persistent and annoying. Some are more troublesome. And some storms are swift, unexpected, and overwhelming. How we pass through the storms is the difference between a life that stands on God’s foundation and one that collapses in on itself. There is no comparison between a life founded on the Word of God and a life floundering without it. (thewildolive.org)
Luke 6:48-49 (The Message) 48-49 “If you work the words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who dug deep and laid the foundation of his house on bedrock. When the river burst its banks and crashed against the house, nothing could shake it; it was built to last. But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a dumb carpenter who built a house but skipped the foundation. When the swollen river came crashing in, it collapsed like a house of cards. It was a total loss.”
One of my favorite songs and one I needed to hear today: https://youtu.be/noAVrvmZrUA?si=0X56rv4pfwsDvYpB
P – Jesus, as I have in recent months felt like a floundering idiot, I know that you are still with me and will keep me from sinking. Help me to continue to grow in my faith, to stay connected to You and Your Word, so that I do better than survive the daily frustrations and pains, and that I THRIVE under Your continued guidance. Help each of us to always reach for You, our anchor, our life vest, and our protector, in ALL storms of life. Thank you for reminding me that I am safe, that You are faithful, and You won’t fail me, and I AM going to make it through. May we have the foundation built that keeps us standing strong through anything so that we have the strength to lift up our brothers and sisters in need, as well as the ones who have yet to begin a relationship with you. As iron sharpens iron, help us to help others to begin to build their own foundation upon You.
- Crystal Flory
