Luke 6:46-49
In Luke’s Gospel, chapter 6 verse 46 Jesus asks a question for the ages.
“Why do you call Me Lord, Lord and not do what I tell you?”
Yeah, why is that? Why do we claim to have this abiding faith and deep love for Jesus while at the same time turning away from Him and giving ourselves over to whatever it is apart from Him that we’re giving ourselves over to? Why is that we embrace the idea of Jesus speaking to us through scriptures but don’t make the time to read them? Why do we find comfort in the idea of Jesus inclining His ear to hear us pray but don’t feel comfortable sitting someplace in quiet solitude and talking to Him?
Right after Jesus poses this question, He’s good to explain the difference between listening and not listening to Him. Listening to our Savior is kind of like being the guy who, when building his house digs deep and lays his foundation on solid rock. For those of you who may be homeowners, especially those of you who had your house custom built, think about the amount of time you took considering the plot of ground that house was to be built on. Before the first shovelful of dirt was moved you had that land surveyed. You had someone check the drainage. You made sure you weren’t living in a flood region or on a earthquake fault line. You made sure you weren’t building on tornado alley.
We do these things because in all probability that house is going to be the single biggest financial investment we will ever make. Given that, why in the world would you build your life on anything less solid than the firm foundation that Jesus provides?
For those who choose not to listen to Him, who hear Him loud and clear but surrender to something less, Jesus tells us you’re like the guy who builds his house on the ground with no foundation. When the river rises, as it inevitably will, the ruin of that house will be great.
Consider your life. When the flood waters rise against you, when the trial comes hard and heavy, when you feel rejected and discouraged, when you get high or drunk or cheat on your spouse, where’s your footing? Have you got a firm foundation to rely on or are you staring great ruin in the face?
Listening to Jesus is the gamechanger. Within the 66 books that make up the Bible, there is a solution for every challenge you come up against. The solution may not always provide instant comfort, it may not always spare you pain…Jesus wasn’t spared pain as He listened to his Father without fail. But what listening to Him will do is protect you from ruin. Jesus will never waver in His faithfulness to you, and He will never deny you the chance to know Him, receive Him and celebrate His glory with Him.
If today you’re in that place where great ruin seems inevitable, listen to Jesus. Trust in your Savior and He will keep those flood waters at bay.