Matthew 7:24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
Every good teacher knows that how you end a lesson is crucial to the response of your students. Jesus, the best teacher ever, after spending many hours explaining truths about being a citizen of His heavenly kingdom, wrapped up His Sermon on the Mount with a final warning and challenge.
Jesus looked out over the crowds gathered together listening to His words and ascertained the hearts of each man, woman, boy, and girl, dividing the crowd into two categories: those who would hear his words and act on them, and those who would hear His words and ignore them Jesus compared the people who took His teaching seriously to a wise man building his house on a rock. When the rains fell, the floods rose, and the winds blew and slammed against this person’s house, it would not fall because it was built on a solid rock.
On the other hand, Jesus compared the people who outwardly feigned interest, but who walked away forgetting what they had heard to a foolish man building his house on the sand. The rains, floods, and winds, when they inevitably came, would wash this person’s house away.
Many years later we still hear Jesus’s teachings echoing down the corridors of time. Just as He did then, Jesus knows the heart of each person and sees through all of the posturing and playacting we do to put on a good show. None of this pretending means anything if we choose to walk away and ignore the things the Great Teacher taught.
When the storms of life come — and they will — only those who have the solid foundation of obedience to God’s word will survive. In difficult times finances will not support your house, and neither will good friends, good education, social standing, political power, or personal prestige. Even the most powerful and prideful self-made men or women will find their foundations crumbling under the test of time and trial.
Yet the same storms that also come to those who have put their faith in the Lord and who have chosen to obey His word will yield different results. These obedient believers will stand firm in the midst of the storm as they rely on the Lord for deliverance. They will not be swayed by lies. They will not be duped by false teachers. They will not be cast down by mockers or ruined by ungodly desires. Jesus will faithfully keep them from stumbling in order to present them before God’s glorious presence without fault and with great joy (Jude 24). This is a firm foundation you can rely on!
These last words of Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount tied the whole message together in a neat bow, and the crowds sat dumbfounded. They had never heard someone, even from among their own teachers of the law, speak with such authority. This message begged for a response.
So what is your response? Where is your life headed and on what or whom do you rely? The storms of life are coming. Make sure you have a firm foundation.
Love,
Mama
Sandra Sheridan is a midwest wife and mother of five. She shares her letters to her children with our readers. Visit her at www.VersesFromMama.com.
