"Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock."

Matthew 7:24

Throughout Galilee, the region of Jesus' early ministry, there were wadis: dry stream beds that would flood during strong rains. A person unfamiliar with weather patterns might build a house on the sandy bottom of a wadi, only to have it washed away in a flash flood. Wise builders looked for solid rock upon which to build houses that could withstand such a deluge.

For those of us who follow Jesus, his message is clear. We are not only to listen to his words, but to live them. Of course, in order to act upon the teachings of Jesus, we must pay close attention. But it's not enough to listen, even to believe that what Jesus says is true. Rather, we must put his message into action, by living out the implications of the kingdom of God in our daily lives.

Actually doing what Jesus teaches requires courage, commitment, and God's help through the Spirit. In our own strength, we can't love our enemies, forgive those who wrong us, or seek reconciliation with those we have wronged. But if we want to build our lives on the rock, then we will step out in faith to do what Jesus commands, trusting that the Holy Spirit will help us.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: When is the last time you intentionally followed a command of Jesus that you would rather have ignored? Why did you do what Jesus asked of you? What was the result?

PRAYER: Dear Lord, there's no question about it. I want my life to be founded on the rock. I want to be the sort of person who can withstand the storms and floods of this life.

Thus I want to follow your teaching, not merely to believe it. Yet I find believing so much easier than obeying. Help me, dear Lord, to risk taking you at your word and doing what you ask of me. Give me confidence in you. By your Spirit, remind me of your teaching when I need it: when I'm dealing with a difficult relationship in the office, when I'm in a broken relationship that needs to be reconciled, when I'm caught between your righteousness and the ways of this world. Then, grant me the courage to step out in obedience to you, knowing that your Spirit will help me. Amen.