As I was praying about a topic for today's writing, I felt like like the Spirit told me to write about hope. So, as I set about doing my reading in the Word, I watched carefully for passages and verses about hope. God's funny like that; sometimes I think I've figured something out (what this really usually means is that I've tried to make Him formulaic, which He is not). Most times, when I get this particular "Oh, I see how this works" feeling, it's proven to me that I haven't seen anything yet.
So, here are the verses for this entry:
"I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built" Luke 6:47-48 (NIV).
Here is what I hear in this passage tonight. First, this passage is talking about someone who not only hears what Jesus says, but who also puts this instruction into practice. This may seem a little "duh," but let's think about this for a minute.
If I run into a friend on the street, and the friend says, "The sky is falling! You'd better run for cover", what am I going to do? Well, I guess one of three things: 1) I run for cover 2) I ignore my nutty friend and go on with my day or 3) I am alarmed by my friend's warnings, but not so sure they're credible; so I go on uncertain - probably trying to hedge my bets in some ways (maybe put some of my valuables under a heavy table or something) and, knowing me, I might also try to do a little more digging to see if I can find a corroborating voice somewhere out there.
So, if you will agree that these are 3 likely responses to my friend's warning, then let's look at what each of these responses really mean.
Scenario 1) I run for cover. Well, I think it's fair to say that I wouldn't run for cover unless I was certain that what my friend was telling me was correct. In other words, I trust my friend. I believe her and have confidence in the veracity of what she says.
Scenario 2) I ignore my friend and carry on with my life. I think it's reasonable to say I shouldn't refer to this person as my "friend" all that freely. I obviously do not believe that what she says has any truth to it at all; for whatever reason, I clearly do not feel there's any truth in what she says. In other words, I don't believe her. (I don't know about you, but I feel a twinge of conviction as I write this. I have a couple "friends" to whom I really might have this kind of a response; makes me realize I may need some prayerful consideration of those relationships....)
And, lastly, Scenario 3) I might kind of, sort of heed the warning, but I'm clearly not convinced. I may take my time, and most likely, I might start looking for some other source for information. Maybe this is a friend I don't know well, or a friend that I don't really know to have any authoritative knowledge in the area of the sky and its happenings. Whatever the case, I may have some reason to partially trust this person, but I'm still not absolutely certain that every word she speaks is absolute truth. Fair enough.
So, I suspect you can see where I'm going with this - at least for starters. In truth, these are three of the responses I can have to Jesus and His words. Sometimes, I act as if I don't think He has a clue. Sometimes, my interest is piqued, but I'm still looking for additional input. And, every now and then, He says I should jump, and my immediate response is "how high?" I'm learning on this front; always.
Alright, are you hanging in there with me? With this piece under our belts, let's move on to this second verse. What is it that is promised for those who listen to Him and put what He says into practice? Or, if you're willing to indulge my analogy, those of us who hear the voice of our Friend and immediately respond with action?
We get a firm foundation. Amen! He is that, isn't He? But, we get more... yes, more! When the torrents come, we will not be shaken. Not only are we not crumbled and destroyed, our homes are not even shaken. I'll take some of that!
And, friends, here's where the hope comes in. Biblical hope is about expectation. It's not just aimless uncertain cross-my-fingers kind of hope; it's hope that says, "I know this is coming, and I cannot wait!" This is hope rooted in knowledge of His word (the hearing of the words, in analogy to Jesus' teaching), and in not just hearing it, and not just knowing it, but in believing it. What I'm understanding in this parable is that while knowing what Jesus' words are is great, living a life because of the fact that it is what He said is better... and, at least speaking for myself, I don't actually live into direction unless its coming from someone I absolutely trust and believe. It's not a new concept, but the challenge in this for me is not just believing in Him; it's believing Him. As I'm journeying hand-in-hand with Him, I'm learning that the distinction is actually the door to a world of difference. I pray for your own insights as you let this mean whatever it will for you.
Much love tonight... He is good.
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