I watched with fascination and a sense impatience as the crews ripped up 71 Hwy. and made it impossible for me to get home quickly. It seemed to take forever before anything was even visible. There was a lot of work that went into finding bedrock and then pouring the pillars and foundations for the bridge over 163rd St. Why? Why did they take so long going down and establishing a solid foundation? It was because they wanted the bridge to stand when ALL the weight and vibration of thousands of cars and trucks a day started crossing it. It certainly would have been easier and much quicker if they didn’t bother to pour the foundation of the bridge on solid rock. But now that it is done and it is secure I am thankful for all the time and effort that went into it. Jesus said spoke about building on solid rock. Let’s look at them together.
Luke 6:47-49 (HCS) I will show you what someone is like who comes to Me, hears My words, and acts on them: [48] He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. When the flood came, the river crashed against that house and couldn’t shake it, because it was well built. [49] But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The river crashed against it, and immediately it collapsed. And the destruction of that house was great!”
The question the first builder asked is what will it take to build a house that will not collapse if an unexpected storm or flood hits it? The answer of course is that it takes a LOT of hard work to build a house properly so that it can withstand the flood. Anyone can throw up a house quickly that has no chance of surviving. But if a house is to survive then the hard work of digging down to bedrock must take place. The foundation must be laid carefully on that rock. From that point things can be built on a foundation that will last no matter what. In contrast the person who built the house that will not last did not do the hard work required they quickly built the house without doing any of the hard work on the foundation. The point Jesus is making is that obedience to His Word is about hard work. It is not just hearing and mentally agreeing with what is said. It is hearing, understanding, and obeying. Obedience is the hard part - it is the digging of the foundation way down to the rock it is slowly building the foundation and then the rest of the structure. Obeying Jesus will mean we will have to do hard things - say no to ourselves and our own selfish desires and to say yes to God and His plan for our lives. It will mean doing the hard work of continuing to obey God’s Word even if nobody else does. The result may not be seen for awhile. But eventually when the storms of life hit only those who have done the hard work of laying their foundation of obedience on Jesus the solid rock will stand. Those who have not done the hard work of Obedience find it much easier to give up when the storms of life come crashing down on them. Obedience is Hard work but worth it when we face the struggles of life. So am I building wisely in my life? Am I seeking to lay the foundation of Obedience to God and His Word in my life? If not then I am building without a foundation and it will very hard to face the difficulties hardships of life.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus thank You for calling me to Obedience. Help me to be willing to do the hard work of OBEYING Your Word no matter what. My I never take the shortcut thinking that I can get by without a firm foundation of Obedience to You. Help me to weather the storms resting firmly on You.
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