Dec 19-20 - Matthew 7:24-25

Jesus said,

Everyone then who hears these

words of mine and acts on them

will be like a wise man who

built his house on rock.

The rain fell, the floods came,

and the winds blew and

beat on that house,

but it did not fall, because

it had been founded on rock.

Matthew 7:24-25

Do you know what the most important concept is in this passage? "The rains will fall."

In this broken world, trials and trouble will come. Floods and fierce winds too. And the beatings of this world -- of water, wind, illness, disappointment, and tragedy -- will fall just as surely on the wise as on the unwise.

That's the constant message of insurance companies. Allstate tells you that Mayhem is lurking everywhere. State Farm tells you that help is just flash away -- popping in and out. Prudential tells you to trust them because their logo is the Rock of Gibraltar.

All of those are biblical messages.

·       Wisdom is realizing that mayhem is lurking everywhere and wisdom is being prepared. Indeed, wisdom is plainly and simply being wise. (Being wise is really what this passage is all about. By being wise, you can prepare for life's storms.)

·       Help -- like in the State Farm commercials -- is just a flash away. God is real. God answers prayer. (But wisdom tells us that if you want physical guarantees of protection, prepare wisely! Don't build on sand and think a flash prayer will change your house to rock. Though we may get to witness a handful of physical miracles in our lives, the Lord usually, usually, usually "pops in" with spiritual help to help us weather the storms. Jesus clearly says, therefore, that wisdom and help is following God's wisdom and preparing physically for the storms in advance.)

·       And finally, like the logo of Gibraltar, we need to build wisely. We need to build on rock – the Rock! Jesus clearly says, therefore, that the secret to life is following God's wisdom (and if you want to see a miracle, watch the peace of lives that have prepared in advance for the inevitable storms.)

In Christ's Love,

a guy who, you will notice,

didn't quote Geico or Progressive.

While it's wise to save money,

I want the Good Hands and the Rock