Reading the Word

Matthew 7:24–27 (ESV) — 24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 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. 26 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. 27 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.”

Understanding and Applying the Word

Jesus spoke of two different men. One who was wise enough to build his house on the solid foundation of rock. This solid footing equipped it to withstand the punishing storms that came. Then there was the foolish man who built his house not on rock, but on sand. When the storms came, his house was flooded and did not stand, but collapsed.

What was Jesus’ point in these illustrations? He was teaching the people, and us, that there is a solid foundation to build our lives on and there are also other things we can choose that will not withstand the storms of life. The solid foundation is the word of God. It stands the tests of time and transcends cultures and trends. All others foundations we could choose are here today and gone tomorrow. Do you want to live a life that really matters? Build it on the rock of God’s word.

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