Therefore 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.”
Matthew 7:24-26 NIV
Jesus spoke the word of God with authority, not
like the Scribes and Pharisees of his day. His clear approach turned some
against him and others toward him.
Jesus said that we have a choice to obey his
words or to go our own way. Our obedience or disobedience to God’s word is an
indicator of how we will fair during times of adversity. If we obey the words
of Jesus, we will be able to overcome when the trials come. We will be like a
house with a strong foundation. We will withstand the onslaughts of the enemy
and our house will remain standing.
If we choose not to obey Jesus’ words, our house (our
lives) will crumble under the hurricanes of life. It’s interesting to note that
both houses look the same on the outside. The foundation or lack of one is
hidden from plain sight. It’s also important to realize that regardless of who
we are, all of us will face storms. These are inevitable, but the man, woman or
child who trusts in Jesus and obeys his word, will endure and overcome when
drastic circumstances come. Our outcome to stand or fall rests solely on our
decision to obey the Lord.
This does not mean that we must live perfectly to
see victory. God will help those whose hearts are tender toward Him. He will
enable us to live according to His word even if we stumble during the process.
Let’s choose to stand with our Lord’s words
hidden in our hearts. Let’s grow roots deep down giving us the ability to
endure the storms of life.
Ultimately, it is our choice whether to stand or fall. Let’s stand!
