source_of_joy

Our culture categorizes us: by our education, employment, economic status, race, and political choices. Not so with God. His Word divides us into two groups: the wise and the foolish. Wise people hear the Word of God and do what it says. Foolish people also hear the Word of God, but they don’t do anything about it.

In Matthew 7: 24 Jesus pictured it this way: “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Obeying and applying the Word is the ultimate protection. When the inevitable storms come, your house will withstand even the strongest blows. (Matthew 7: 25 – 27 ~ 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.)

What happens to the foolish person who hears but doesn’t heed God’s Word? Jesus warned, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like the foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rains fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

We may think the foolish guy who builds his house on the sand probably never goes to church, reads his Bible, or has a daily quiet time. Not true. He may be in church every week and never even miss getting his quiet time checkmark, but he hasn’t let what he hears change his life.

Hearing God’s Words leads to two possible outcomes: If we do what God says and increasingly make wise, biblical, better choices, we will experience blessing and joy. If we let God’s truth go in one ear and out the other, we’re foolish and will experience the consequences: misery, and eventually judgment.

It would be easy to put off to another day some specific obedience you know God wants you to do. Don’t be fooled – storm clouds are coming. The difference between the wise and foolish person may not be obvious before the wind and rain rage, but the result of foolishness is tragically clear in the aftermath.~James MacDonald

Let us think for a while today: What’s keeping me from obeying God in specific areas?

Foolishness is thinking it doesn’t apply to me;

wisdom is letting God’s Word change my life.