READING: Judges 13-15, Luke 6:27-49
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?”
Luke 6:46
I’m guessing that many readers won’t remember this song, but perhaps you will: “The foolish man built his house upon the sand (3x), and the rains came a-tumbling down. The rains came down and the floods came up (3x), and the house on the sand went splat!” This children’s song may be simple, but it does have a catchy tune (check it out in a Google search – you’ll have the tune in your head all day long!) and, more importantly, a valuable teaching.
All of us who hear the Word of God have an option in what we do with the Word: we can obey it, or we can ignore it. Those who obey it build a deep, strong foundation that weathers the storms of life well; those who ignore the Word will find that whatever “foundation” they are building won’t be sufficient for the house to handle the storms. Instead, “the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great” (Luke 6:49). Some of this latter group, in fact, might still use religious language and go through religious motions, but their heart is not committed to Christ. They call Him “Lord, Lord,” but do not do what He says (Luke 6:46).
In Jesus’ story, both men built houses, and it was the storms that made their foundation apparent. That illustration always reminds me of one reason for knowing and obeying the Word: all of us will face storms of life at some point. Sometimes we have little time to prepare for the storm, and sometimes the storm violently shakes us. If we don’t know the promises of God’s provision and care, or if we’re simply ignoring His teachings, we’ll find no hope or peace in the storm. But, knowing and obeying the Word of God connects us in fellowship with God, the Rock greater than any storm.
What I fear, though, is that too often we turn to God and His Word only when the storm settles over our head. We somehow expect God to free us from that storm when our obedience to Him has hardly been the norm. God then becomes only our final recourse in a tough time, not the Redeemer and Savior we can trust through any tempest. That’s hardly the way Jesus told us to live if we claim to be His children.
ACTION STEPS:
- Based on your depth of obedience to Jesus, decide which foundation most characterizes your life.
- If you face a storm today, lean heavily on Jesus.
PRAYER: “Father, convict me all day long when I don’t obey Your Word.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Judges 16-18, Luke 7:1-30