We must build our foundations on the rock because just as we experience plenty of rain in the Northwest, we will all experience plenty of life’s rain and storms; and when the ultimate storm comes that will decide our eternal fate, on what foundation did we build our house?
By abiding in Jesus and endeavoring to be more like Him through time spent with God and His Word, we begin to see that good fruit He promises in our lives as He prunes us into who He made us to be. We begin to understand more plainly why Jesus had to come and die for our sins, and what it looks like to follow Him.
It does not take much for one go down the wide road. The truth is, it is far easier… at first. Inevitably, however, that “wide gate” and the road that follows eventually ends in emptiness, isolation, desolation...
The Golden Rule was not a concept completely unique to the Bible, so versions of it are a largely universal idea. In Matthew 7:12, Jesus not only made this age-old idea active, He also pointed to the legitimacy of Scripture as the whole reason for the action.
You will never be good enough, and that is okay.
Truth be told, God’s love for us is not determined by the good things we do, or shockingly, even the bad. His love is a free gift offered to us from the moment He breathed the breath of life into us. It is a radical reality, and one that we cannot often parallel in this world. It is what makes our ability to converse with God so incredibly profound.
As we seek after our Savior and find Him, that genuine encounter with our holy God humbles us and reveals our place in His kingdom, as broken children in need of salvation. The truth is, our lives are just as messy as that neighbor’s life; just maybe in a different way.
Three times in our passage from this week, Jesus tells us not to be anxious. “But why?” I imagine Jesus knew we would ask that, so He gave us the answer… three times.
Simple, I know, but as we’ve progressed through what’s been one of the most arduous, stressful years many of us have gone through, it’s been one of the best reminders for me about where my hope truly lies.
There’s something captivating about a good story. And while good writing helps, and a good story arc is important, it’s the characters in those stories that can truly make it compelling. Better yet, when we see the depth of who they are, we are drawn into the story being told.
