BE A LIVING MESSAGE OF HOPE
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“Whoever comes to Me, and hears my sayings and does
them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who
dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.
And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house,
and could not shake it for it was founded on the rock.”—Luke 6:47-48
God has ways of shaking
the world when He is at work. He literally caused the ground to quake when Jesus died on the cross, “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up his
Spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the
temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks
were split” (Matthew 27:50-51). Hebrews 12:26
describes a time still future when the earth will undergo a similar display of
His power and presence.
Likewise in our present day, He often lets the foundations of
our world be shaken—whether
political alliances, financial systems, or other forms of human security. Then we can see the flimsiness of the structures
on which we have based our pride and hopes.
Individual lives are also often shaken when a family experiences crisis or a marriage begins to unravel.
If we have built on the fragile
cornerstones of human wisdom, pride, and conditional love, things may look good
for a while, but a weak foundation causes collapse when storms hit.
While adversity affects everyone, we can have peace in
knowing that God always has a greater purpose when He allows upheaval and crisis in our world. Hard
times can also shake believers out of apathy and self-focus, reminding us not
to trust in ourselves or the temporary structures of this world. There is only one secure firm foundation: a genuine, deep relationship with Jesus
Christ, which will carry you through any and all turmoil. No matter what storms are raging all around,
you'll stand firm if you stand on
His love.
It is not enough for believers to simply enjoy the security
of knowing that our "house"
is built on a solid foundation. As God's ambassadors on earth, we have a
responsibility to extend His compassion to people whose lives are crumbling. Be a living message of hope to those
around you today so that they too can stand
on a firm foundation.
Prayer—Father I repent
for the times that I have panic in the midst of a crisis in my life and have
trusted myself and others for the answer, and I ask You to forgive me. Lord, today with Your help I purpose in my
heart to stand firm on the foundation of our relationship, knowing that You
will never leave nor forsake me, and that You are always helping me even when I
cannot see it in the natural realm, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
