The wise man built his house upon the rock and the rain came tumbling down.
The rain came down and the floods came up, and the house on the rock stood firm.

It was one of my favorite songs in Sunday school. I knew all the hand motions, and I still feel nostalgic when I remember.

On the other hand . . .

The foolish man built his house upon the sand and the rain came tumbling down.
The rain came down and the floods came up, and the house on the sand went splat!

And the class would collapse onto the floor with glee.

But it’s so much more than a Sunday school song. It’s a sober warning.

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them
will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house,
but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them
will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house,
and it fell, and great was the fall of it.
~Matthew 7:24-27

Jesus’ point was this: hearing the truth is worthless (even dangerous), if it doesn’t translate into living. The Bible says the laws of God are written on men’s hearts (Romans 2:15). While knowledge of God and His ways is common, action is rare.

Notice too that Jesus did not promise if we hear and do His words then we’ll have sunny weather. No, both the wise and foolish man’s house were subjected to rain, floods, and harsh winds. Isn’t that consistent with life as we know it? God makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:45).

Too often we buy the into the sweet-sounding lie that obedience to God will spare us the storms. Storms will come. But if we have faithfully built our house on the rock of Jesus’ words, we will stand firm.

In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
~John 16:33

 

WINSOME LIVING
Here’s a practical application of this week’s focus.

• Are you building your house on the firm rock of God’s truth or on sands of self-reliance, relationships, or something else?
• How are living in the knowledge and embrace of God’s love and looking to the joy of the Lord for strength and sustenance fundamental to laying a foundation that is firm?
• What are two or three practical actions you can take each day to build your house on the rock?

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Every Wednesday, I’m exploring what winsome living looks like. What does it mean to be embraced by love and sustained by joy?

Here are all the posts in this series:
Why Winsome?
Embraced by Love
Sustained by Joy
Winsome Living

 

Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash

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