Storm Warning: Calm Before the Storm — Wednesday
Matthew 7:24-27
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine 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 of mine 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.” (NIV)
After months of living in a cockroach-infested apartment (you can check out Monday’s devo if you missed the story), I decided to break my lease and start looking for new places to live. My hobby for three weeks straight was aggressively scrolling on Zillow and requesting house tours. In my typical night-owl fashion, I was hunting for rentals at one in the morning when all of a sudden, I found it—the perfect house. Whether it was an act of God, my sleep deprivation, or a mixture of both, I swiped through all the photos in the listing and determined that it was the perfect house, location, and price for my needs (and of course, the needs of my dog).
I immediately requested a tour, and by the next morning, I had a showing scheduled for that week. After days of anticipation, my parents, my brother, and I all hopped in our cars and headed over to check out the rental. When we walked inside, I remember feeling like I had come home. However, I also knew from previous experience that you never know what an apartment or a house may hold (chiefly speaking about cockroaches here), so my family and I inspected the entire place from top to bottom with shrewd and unbiased eyes.
There’s good news in this story: The house was great! So great that I put in my application for it that evening and moved in three weeks later. As I write this, I’m sitting in my safe, sound, and cockroach-free home, so grateful for God’s provision and so grateful to not be killing bugs everywhere I look. The house I live in now is solid, from the surface to the way it was constructed. Even if there are thunderstorms, I know I’ll be protected within its walls, and I don’t have to worry about roaches or if I am going to be able to sleep at night.
When our lives are built on Jesus, we have hope. But to ensure our lives remain on His steady foundation, sometimes we need to do some “inspection.” And as we press into our relationship with Him and inspect the areas of our lives that need His transformation and invite Him into those places, He carries us. We are held in His arms. He protects and defends us. We are no longer bound to shifting sand and a wobbly foundation. His presence grants us peace, and when the storms come (and they will), we can look to Him as our source of unfailing joy and hope.
Wednesday’s Reflection
Do some “inspecting” of your heart. What areas do you need the Lord to transform or redeem?