ESOCS Devotional 20 July 2023
MEMORY VERSE: “He is like a man which built an house and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock; and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it; for it was founded upon a rock” Luke 6:48
TEXT: LUKE 6:39-49 (KJV)
39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?
40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.
41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.
43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.
Read Yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
Without any shadow of doubt, technology has simplified the building process. Today, there are houses existing on sands, some are comfortably sitting on oceans, others suspended in the air, there are pillar-less houses that have stood a test of time. We have seen houses perfectly built on top of mountains and some others standing on rocks.
The Christian life also follows the same principle, no matter our connection either to great churches, pastors or great servants of God; if our life is not first rooted on the Rock, then it will one day fall apart and backsliding begins from that point (Col. 2:7).
Here are some of the secrets of the House on the Rock:
- COME TO JESUS: “Whosoever cometh to me…” (Luke 6:47). Until you come to Jesus, the house cannot be built. It may interest you to know that Jesus is the Rock, so to come to Him is to come to the Rock. It must be made clear that coming to church does not mean the same thing as coming to Christ. This implies truly getting Born Again and totally recreated and transformed. We must come to Jesus not in carnality but in spirit and in truth. Not really looking for what He will give to us but how He will change our lives (Matt. 6:33). Therefore, you want to be built on the rock then, run to Jesus today, be assured that there is no discrimination in Him “… and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).
- HEAR HIS WORDS: “…and heareth my sayings…” (Luke 6:47). Information is the secret of every good foundation. How informed the engineer is about the ground will be an added advantage in the building process. To have your life fully established upon the rock, then it must be that you are instructed by its words. We are disturbed when we see people claim to come to Jesus or hang around the church but pay no attention to His words. Until you hear His words, your Christianity cannot be heard on the rock.
- BE A DOER: “… and doeth them…” (Luke 6:47). Spirituality is not measured by what you hear, rather by actions. The efficacy of the hearing process is in the doing. When we fail to do, it signals that we never heard at all. This is the state of so many acclaimed Christians, hearing but not practicing. Head knowledge without evidence. You want your house to be on the rock? Then, be a doer.
- ever settle for a life without the Rock – Jesus connection.
- Father, thank you for providing us a rock to build upon.
FURTHER READING: Joshua 9:3-21; Daniel 9:20-end; Acts 19:21-end
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ESOCS Devotional 20 July 2023
