GOD'S FORMULA FOR SUCCESS--PART 4
Scripture Reading--Matthew 7:24-29
What are the differences between the wise man and the foolish man? We live in a world of foolishness. Whatever happened to wisdom? God calls "the wisdom of this world" foolishness ( 1 Corinthians 3:19 ). Today's Scripture describes a wise man and a foolish man. One was success, and one failed.
Verses 24 and 26 tell us they both heard the Word of God, and each was building a house. One house had a rock-solid foundation; the other was built on sand. Each responded to what God said. One obeyed; the other didn't. The same storms of life came upon both of them ( vv. 25, 27 ). The result? The wise man weathered the storm, and the foolish man lost everything. What is the lesson of this parable? To be successful, we must build upon the rock-solid foundation of God's Word.
In a seacoast village of New England, a lighthouse stood on the rocks near the village. A storm hit, and the light in the lighthouse went out. The villagers were terrified to think of the ships that would know nothing of the dangerous rocks without the light. A volunteer stood on the rocks in the worst of the storm and waved a lantern to warn the ships. The next morning, after the storm had passed, the weather-beaten man returned to the village as a hero. Someone asked, "Weren't you afraid standing out there in the midst of the storm?"
He replied, "No!"
"Why not?"
He responded, "Because the rock never moved!"
Each family will face storms. Some will be mild, but others will be severe. When your family stands on the solid rock of God's Word, you can successfully weather the storm--and even be better afterwards. But families who face the storms with no foundation are often swept away, losing everything. The key is knowing what God says and doing it. That's wisdom, and that's success.
DISCUSS: As a family, share together about "storms" you've faced. How did God's Word bring you through?
--Jack Palmer--
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