Remember the words of the old Sunday school song, ‘The wise man built his house upon the Rock…The foolish man built his house upon the sand’? The storm hit both houses leaving only the wise man’s house standing. Jesus wasn’t simply recommending the virtues of wisdom over foolishness. The truth is, we’re all wise at times and foolish at others. And He wasn’t saying the house that survived the storm was a believer’s house while the house that perished belonged to an unbeliever. Neither was He implying that the church attender’s house withstood the storm while the non-attender’s house collapsed. His point was simpler – and more compelling. When things are at their worst and we are pushed to the wall, when we doubt our chances of survival, when we have used up our last ounce of resistance, it’s not our wisdom, salvation, or church attendance that gets us through the storm. While these are crucially important aspects of Christian life for which we praise God, many wise, faithful believers go under in life’s storms: an abusive relationship, a financial collapse, an unfaithful partner, the loss or illness of a child, a mental or physical disability. Jesus’ point wasn’t even a plea for increased knowledge of His Word. Both homeowners understood His Word, but simply saying, ‘Lord, I totally agree with you,’ won’t get you through the storm. The point Jesus was making here is that doing what you hear Him say is what will get you through the storm! God has bound Himself to honour His Word, and your obedience aligns you with it and activates His power on your behalf.
