In the close of His Famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus concludes by saying, “Matthew 7:24, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Do we hear the words of Jesus and do them? Do we spend time on what Jesus is actually saying? And, through His words, are we getting to know Him? Really?
This is so foundational to our faith. Because Jesus follows up the above verse with the stark truth, that BOTH believers’ and non-believers will face the storms of life! Being a Christian does NOT make you immune to trials and testing times! In fact, Jesus says, in John 16:33, – “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
But it is our trust in the Word, building our faith on ‘deep foundations’ – knowing that whatever comes our way, that like a house built on deep rock foundations, we will remain strong?
There are many examples in the Bible, where we can see others who put their trust in the Word in testing circumstances. In the book of Daniel, we see Daniel’s 3 friends being tested. They were instructed to bow down and worship the idol statue of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. If they did not bow down, they would be thrown into the fiery furnace! But they responded to the threats in Daniel 3: 17, – “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.” They understood and they grasped that God was faithful. As they were thrown in, there appeared with them, a fourth person described as a ‘Son of Man.’ Jesus is showing us that ‘whatever’ comes our way, that when we dig and build deep on His word and promises, He is walking with us and will never leave or forsake us!
He is in our trials, and for 2000 years, many have experienced the presence of Jesus by His Holy Spirit in severe testing times and even death. Jesus’ promise to the persecuted Church of Smyrna in Revelation 2 verse 10:- “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.”
WHAT A PROMISE – The Crown of Eternal Life!!!! “Thank you, Jesus, for your words, may we build our faith on this ROCK – your WORD!”
