November 19: Matthew 7 24-27

Key Verse: Matthew 7 27
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.

Devotion:
This is one of the stories I can remember being told about in Sunday School many years ago! It is such a simple parable which sticks in your mind because of its simplicity and common sense outcome… but one which Jesus was using to reach people around Him be they learned people or simple folk.

Jesus starts out by saying we can be like that wise man if we are willing to listen and obey the gospel He wants to teach us. If we sit there and say yes and no at the right times but go home and do our own things, we will not be learning the truth Jesus wants us to know. But if we really listen, then take those words to heart and follow them in our lifestyles, we begin to grow with Him and become those wise men who will build their house on the rocks.

The rocks here signify the truth as Christ tells us and the best knowledge we can have in our lives. If we are willing to take God’s Word, remember it and follow it in our lives, then we are becoming those wise men. Building our lives on these truths we find in our bibles and not the stories mankind comes up with will make sure we are firmly held in the truth when we are faced with troubles in our lives. The rain and rising waters signify those troubles in our lives – there is no getting away from them, but we can apply God’s Word and work according to those words to get the best protection we can.

God wants us to be sure and safe on the rock which is the gospel rather than having to face the sand which is mankind’s way of handling things. When we are faced with something bigger than mankind, we fall flat on our faces unless we are bound by something much firmer and stronger than those ways. God has given us the rock to build our lives on knowing we will be able to survive much evil if we are willing to trust that rock…

Points to Ponder:
What do you build your life around?

Are you willing to build it around the Gospel?