The Rock

Monday, ‎September ‎26, ‎2022

Good morning, Lord

Verse of the Day: Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Memory verse: Romans 12:1: Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

Today's reading: ISAIAH 1-2 GALATIANS 5

The Rock Of Obedience

Luke 6:46 "Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I say?"

James 1:22 Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.

Jesus speaks of obedience in Luke 6. Obedience is like a man who 'digs down' to the rock and bases his foundation on the rock and builds his house. Disobedience is a man who just builds his house on the sand and great was the downfall of that house.

James writes in the first chapter of James that a man who hears the Word and does not do it(in other words, is disobedient to the Word of God), is like a man who sees himself for what he is and ignores the truth-walks away and forgets what he has seen. But the obedient man looks at the perfect law of Christ written on his heart and hears it-really hears the perfect law- and does what Jesus says.

The man who builds his house on the sand has not listened but trusts his own building skills. They may be great skills but without the perfect wisdom of God that says base your life on His eternal rock, human skills and know-how will end in great destruction.

If a person ignores the truth about one's self-the truth that man is born into sin-and continues to trust that flawed origin, that person is destined to failure.

People can create what they consider great moral and physical kingdoms that can captivate the minds of multitudes and amass enormous stores of wealth and see these kingdoms flourish for years-and do it all in the name of 'god'-but it will fall if it is not based on the heart of God by obedience.

Jesus asked, "Why do you hear and not obey?" He knew the answer. He wanted people to truthfully look at their actions and thoughts and see their sin-the sin of not obeying His words. He wants us to see the danger of leaning on our own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.…

Trusting the Lord and His wisdom with all our hearts and moving in obedience to Him is building on His rock foundation-the rock of obedience-anything else is, in the end, great destruction.

So, how do we know?

John 10:27 ►"My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me."

If our lives are not surrendered-does He know us-can we hear His voice?

Matthew 7:21-23

International Children’s Bible

21 “Not everyone who says ‘You are my Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven. The only people who will enter the kingdom of heaven are those who do the things that my Father in heaven wants. 22 On the last day many people will say to me, ‘You are our Lord! We spoke for you. And through you we forced out demons and did many miracles.’ 23 Then I will tell them clearly, ‘Get away from me, you who do evil. I never knew you.’

Obedience is what Jesus said, "...those who do the things that my Father in heaven wants."

Those who have built their lives on the rock of obedience-those who do what their Father in Heaven wants-these will not see their houses crumble when the storms rage.

Jesus, as He walked on the water, did not say to Peter, "Come, and look at this wild wind"; Jesus simply said, "Come".

We need to simply 'come' to Jesus. We must abandon our self-trust and pride and trust only Him. We must continue, day to day, to come to Jesus on His rock of obedience. We must build as He says build and not the way we think things should be. We must listen-we must see ourselves for what we are-helpless and hopeless on our own.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I can only 'do' through Christ who gives me my strength-I cannot do without Christ. I cannot do unless I build on the rock of obedience in Him.

...because He loves us...

Father in Heaven,

Forgive me my pride, my stiff neck. I can do nothing without you. You are my only rock-the only rock.

Mighty God who knows us who obey,

In the name of Christ Jesus,

Amen