Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and don't do the things which I say? Everyone who comes to me, and hears my words, and does them, I will show you who he is like. He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it was founded on the rock. Luke 6:46'48 WEB.

The boss paced back and forth, watching us behind his mirrored sunglasses. He carried a pistol in his boot. The rest of us stood waist-deep in ditches of gumbo clay while we dug with shovels under the hot sun. You would think that we were on a chain gang, but it was called "construction in the South."

Having quit school at sixteen and married, I landed a great job as a common laborer on a construction crew. It paid the minimum wage, which was $3.35 an hour at the time. This is one of the perks when you leave school early. I wasn't exactly groomed for success.

We were the foundation crew and went ahead of the carpenters. We dug deep ditches using shovels, following a straight line, and then we filled them with wheelbarrows full of concrete. The taller the building, the deeper the foundation had to be.

Jesus was a carpenter, and He knew all about foundations. He once told a story about two men who built houses. One man dug deep and built his house on the rock, while the other just built his house right on top of the sand. The buildings looked similar and required the same materials to build. Yet, there was a critical difference beneath the surface, where you couldn't see it.

When a flood came, and the wind beat on both houses (Matthew 7:25), the one built on sand collapsed while the house built on the rock foundation was fine. Then Jesus explained what the story meant:

Everyone who:

1) Comes to Jesus,

2) Hears His words,

3) And does them:

Will have a foundation laid on The Rock.

A storm beats on all of the houses when they come. The difference is this: After the wind dies down, you will still be standing if you have obeyed the Lord's Word. It's our obedience to His word that digs our foundation. "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and don't do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please guide me into a firm foundation. Help me structure my life around You, the unmoving, unshakable Almighty God who created the heavens and the earth. Nothing is impossible for You, and when You speak, things happen. So please lead me today, Lord. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: 'Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God.' (Philippians 4:6-7) ~ If you have a prayer need, we are here for you! We and the prayer team are ready to lift you up at our private prayer page: RHM Prayer Network

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