Trust and Stand (Thursday, Week 12, Year II)

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The metaphors of rock and sand may not be too difficult to understand and grasp. Those are elements that are very common to us: we see them often; we use them from time to time. Their properties will help us understand what Jesus was talking about and why He used them to teach. Amongst other things, a rock is strong and impervious; impervious in the sense that it cannot be affected by destructive elements; it cannot be penetrated particularly by water. With this property, a rock is immune to damages. But sand lacks the above qualities, that's why it easily crumbles when it comes in contact with erosive elements such as water and wind.

Jesus describes a person who listens to His words and acts on them as a sensible person who built his or her house on a rock. When elements hit it hard, it won't collapse because it is built on the rock. But anyone who listens to His words and does not act on them is like a foolish person who built his house on sand. The elements came, hit it hard and what a great fall it had.

Listening to God's word is one thing. Acting on it is another. If we are changed by mere listening to the Word of God, the world would have been a very perfect community of righteous and blameless people. The onus lies in acting on what we have heard or listened to. When we act on God's word, we send out a signal of faith, that we trust our God so much to the extent that that we can now live our lives, build our confidence and stake our existence on what He has said. The immediate consequence of such attitude is that when the floods of temptation, crises and trials arise, our faith will never be toppled because it is built on God our rock and on His unfailing words. When we don't act on God's words, we send out a signal of faithlessness and lack of trust. When trials of life and the crisis of faith hit us, we collapse like a house built on sand.

The annals of the infamous kings of Israel as we have them in the books of Kings are historical facts of the devastating effects of infidelity, that is, lack of faith in God and in His words. Those kings who greatly displeased the Lord did so because they didn't trust Him, they did not believe in His words and what a great fall they all had.

Our faith security is assured when we stand firm on the words of God. Even if things don't turn out as we expected, we cannot be brought down because those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion that cannot be shaken (Psalm 125:1).

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