Daily devotion from Matthew 7:24-27.
Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 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. 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. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
The Navy Seals went in to take out the infamous murderer Osama Bin Ladin. They went right into his house. But that wasn't the first time they had done so. We have learned that they made a house just like his and practiced the raid over and over again. They did that so that when the time actually came to raid the real house and things got difficult, they would know what to do.
Jesus teaches that when people listen to his word and live according to it, they build a strong house. Of course, he is not talking about a strong physical house, but a strong spiritual house. If we hear his word but don't put it into practice, then our spiritual house has a very weak foundation. When the storms of life come along, our house will crack and creak and crash. If we hear his word and put it into practice, our spiritual house is built on an immovable foundation. When the troubles of life come along, our house will stand firm.
Jesus gives us many promises in his word. He promises to forgive us. He promises that he will always be with us. He promises that when we live according to his will, we will be blessed. If we hear those promises of Jesus, but don’t take them to heart and fail to base our lives on them, then our house of faith is on shaky ground. When the troubles of life come along, and they always do, our natural reaction will be to follow our sinful natures which are always wrong, and we will fail and fall. But if we hear his word, believe it and regularly practice it, when life gets difficult, we will know what to do—put our full trust in the unfailing promises of our unchanging God. Now that's a house that won't fall.
Prayer:
Help me, Lord, to hear your word and put it into practice. In all circumstances, teach me to put my full trust in your unfailing promises. Amen.
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