Scripture for Today: Matthew 7:25 “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.”

Can’t lose these marbles! They are hard to miss, rising up from the desert floor of Northern Australia. The Devils Marbles have come to symbolize the Australian outback but in fact, for the Aboriginal people it is sacred ground being the site for “dream stories.” Hundreds of these rounded granite rocks, some as big as twenty feet, have survived centuries of erosion. However, some have split completely in half!

Today’s verse uses the image of a rock as a firm foundation for building our lives. The one using rock is the one who not only hears the words of Jesus but puts them into practice. (vs.24) Hearing the words of Jesus without obedience is like building a house on sand. In either scenario the winds and rain will come to beat on the house. But only one house will survive those relentless storms of life. The crowds were amazed at what they heard from Jesus. (vs. 28) But the point Jesus was making was not about just hearing!

Like never before we have multiple opportunities to hear the words of Jesus: sermons, books, articles, songs, live streaming, podcasts and personal Bible reading. I can choose to hear His words twenty-four/seven if I were so inclined. But were I to stop there, I would be building on sand. The point is not how familiar I am with His words, how many verses I can quote or how much I study. The point is how much I put in practice!

Thank you Lord, for being my Rock!