Wise

Good Morning! 

A rainy day in Cleveland GA yesterday … and this morning.  I am reminded of the child’s Bible song …

1 The wise man built his house upon the Rock,
The wise man built his house upon the Rock,
The wise man built his house upon the Rock,
And the rains came tumbling down.
The rains came down and the floods came up,
The rains came down and the floods came up,
The rains came down and the floods came up,
But the house on the Rock stood firm. 

2 The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
And the rains came tumbling down.
The rains came down and the floods came up,
The rains came down and the floods came up,
The rains came down and the floods came up,
And the house on the sand fell flat. 

3 So build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ,
So build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ,
So build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ,
And the blessings will come down.
The blessings come down as your prayers go up,
The blessings come down as your prayers go up,
The blessings come down as your prayers go up,
So build your life on the Lord.

Don’t you love how children Bible songs can teach us simple Scripture truths.  Jesus spoke about the need to be obedient and build our lives on Him.  Listen to what He says, as reported in Luke’s gospel …

Luke 6:46-49 English Standard Version (ESV)

46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? 47 Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.[a] 49 But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

Footnotes:

a.     Luke 6:48 Some manuscripts founded upon the rock

Having a proper foundation is extremely important when building any building. I often take Highway 129 from Gainesville to Cleveland. Along the way north, there is a house with an addition that does not have a proper foundation.  I can tell that easily since the addition sits askew to the rest of the building.

Paul tells us to build our lives upon a strong foundation …

1 Corinthians 3 English Standard Version (ESV)

3 But I, brothers,[a] could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?

5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.

10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled[b] master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

16 Do you not know that you[c] are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.

18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 21 So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.

Footnotes:

a.     1 Corinthians 3:1 Or brothers and sisters

b.     1 Corinthians 3:10 Or wise

c.     1 Corinthians 3:16 The Greek for you is plural in verses 16 and 17

Paul understood that the key to a life that would weather the many attacks of Satan and his minions was the strong foundation found only in Christ Jesus, our Savior and Lord.  So … build YOUR house upon the foundation of Jesus.

Agape’

Mr. Jim

  

Prayer:  Father, thank You for the foundation in life found in Jesus.  In Jesus’ Name … Amen.

Scripture for today:  Luke 6:46-49; 1^st Corinthians 3