JESUS SPEAKING
“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rains descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall” (Mathew 7: 24-27.)
INSPIRED THOUGHTS
In this scripture, Jesus initially identifies a single group of people: all those who hear His words. He then divides this group into two distinct categories. The division is based solely upon the response to what the listeners have heard. One group puts into practice what they have learned from Jesus, and the other group does not. Those who take action are wise, but those who do not are foolish. Both groups are likened to builders who undertake the construction of a house. One builds on solid rock (unmovable, sturdy, and permanent), and another group builds on sand (movable, shifting, and impermanent.) Every human being is a building, and their actions and behaviors are the product of following a blueprint. There are an endless number of blueprints, but only one blueprint is eternal. The rain, the wind, and the floods will come; everyone will endure difficult times; but only those who choose not to practice the teachings of Christ will ultimately crumble.
Along the coast of Southern California, many individuals have constructed lavish mansions on the cliffs overlooking the ocean. Every so often a mudslide or a sink hole will bring down a huge portion of the cliff upon which one of these houses stands. Occasionally you might see a picture of a half of a house standing on a cliff; while the opposite side lays in a mangled heap of pieces on the beach below. Once in a while, a house built on a solid enough foundation will hang over the cliff, fully intact despite missing a portion of earth beneath it. The same thing is true for those in this world who build their lives upon the teachings of Jesus Christ. Eventually this world will be annihilated; and yet whatever we have built according to God’s design will never be destroyed; it will last forever.
Today, just like our Lord, each of us is a carpenter. We are builders who are following a blueprint. A life that takes shape as a result of following the directions outlined for us by our eternal God, will never end. However, any life that’s been constructed from following teachings other than those of Jesus Christ, will be destroyed. Eternal life isn’t solely received through what we have heard; but rather, by what we have done as a result of what we have heard. If there is no fruit, then there is no faith. Obedience to God is how we build our lives upon an eternal foundation. If we read His word and do His word, we won’t pass away with this present world; instead we will spend an eternity with Him in paradise.
“Heavenly Father, we come before You and we ask that You give us the strength to follow everything we have heard from Your Son. Give us more opportunities to implement His teachings in our lives. May we know the deep pleasure and great satisfaction that comes from accomplishing the tasks that You have given us. May we always strive to please You, and to be a blessing to all of those we meet. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you!
Jesus Speaks 