| “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:” – Matthew 7:24 |
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| Matthew 7:24 begins the conclusion of the greatest sermon ever preached called the SERMON ON THE MOUNT. Jesus Christ started His ministry in Galilee and He has taken (I love how the Message says it) His climbing companions (Mt. 5:2) up on a mount overlooking the Sea of Galilee. Here He will teach then and what He taught is presented to us in Matthew 5, 6, and 7. As this sermon wraps up, we learn much about the expectations of Jesus regarding what He has taught. He tells the listeners to be more than listeners and be DOERS of His sermon. For Jesus, there is to be an APPLICATION of the INSTRUCTIONS. His message is not merely INFORMATION but indeed they are INSTRUCTIONS for living life the way God intended life to be lived. To drive home the point of the importance of BEING A DOER Jesus will use an illustration where one would build a house. As well as give a vivid characteristic of a person based on their actions toward His instructions. The one who TAKES ACTIONS, and APPLIES His teaching is considered WISE as opposed to being FOOLISH. To illustrate how this person is wise He says they are like a person deciding to build a house on solid ground! Those who are listening and then DOING are building their life on SOLID GROUND that will withstand the storms of life. On the other hand, He will point out that those who only listen and do not put into action are like fools who build their homes on the sand, which easily shifts, providing no security. How about you? Are you a DOER or just a hearer of the Word? Are you a learner who LIVES what you are learning? Are you a wise person who applies the Word of God so that your life will be being built on a solid foundation? As I consider Matthew 7:24 I find myself having a personal concern as well as a concern for you that read this devotion. That concern is that we would be educated in the Word of God beyond our obedience. While being blessed to have the knowledge of God’s Word we may very well not be applying the knowledge. Are you educated beyond your obedience? Verse to DATE the Word on July 24 (7/24) is Matthew 7:24. It says, “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:” BTW – God did not just give us His Word for information but for TRANSFORMATION and TRANSFORMATION only happens with APPLICATION! Continue Strong being a DOER of the Word, And remember to DATE the Word |