September 30, 2024 - Good Morning! It's Monday, September 30.
This devotion first ran on Monday, September 29, 2020.
I have always loved storms. When the thunder starts to rumble, and the lightning starts to flash... I go outside! It's a wonder I'm still alive to write this. At about 4am this morning I was awakened by a nice little storm and as I sat on the porch and watched it, I was reminded of a story about wind and rain and floods - a story that ends a famous sermon.
The Sermon on the Mount is found in Matthew 5 - 7. These three chapters mark the longest continuous passage of the words of Jesus. These three chapters feature some of the Bible's most quoted verses. These three chapters include the Beatitudes, the Lord's Prayer, and at the very end of the sermon, these words -
"Anyone who hears my words and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
But everyone who hears these words and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
With that "great crash", the Sermon on the Mount came to an end. Meditate for a moment on this little parable, this earthly story with a heavenly meaning, this tale that contains the very secret of life.
Meet you back here tomorrow,
David
