Foundation Words

Foundation Words

Reading: Daniel 11-12; Luke 6 47 These words I speak to you are not mere additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundation words, words to build a life on. 48 If you work the words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who dug deep and laid the foundation of his house on bedrock. When the river burst its banks and crashed against the house, nothing could shake it; it was built to last. (Luke 6:47-48 MSG) Jesus spoke these words to his followers against the backdrop of a culture which prided itself on being the race chosen by God and entrusted with his Word and his ways. Jews learned God’s Word from their childhood, their calendar was formed by worship dates and events, but their lives didn’t show it. In reality, it was the most religiously knowledgeable of the Jewish religious leaders who were the most determined to get rid of Jesus – and he was the fulfillment of all their scriptures! It’s amazing how we can still assume knowledge makes everything better! I live in a culture where education and knowledge is seen as the key to success, and where success means advancement and more money. We idolize the unceasing development and enjoyment of new technologies, and we passionately seek a more comfortable life! I enjoy and appreciate the benefits, the comforts, and the conveniences our knowledge has brought us. Still, as I think about my life and the lives of those who live around me, I wonder if we are using the wrong measurements for “success.” People are living with more stress and anxiety than ever. We no longer value character and integrity above popularity and appearance. We often discard relationships like used paper plates and plastic dinner-ware.

Jesus never intended his teachings to be add-ons or accessories to our lives. Living life as a Christ-follower is pretty much an everything or nothing proposition. The truth is, knowledge is good, but it’s not what you know, it’s what you do with what you know that makes the difference. Prayer: Father, Thank you for the benefits of living in a knowledge-rich society. Help me not to value knowledge above truth. Thank you for your Word and your words and for making it clear to me that a foundation is established only by hearing and doing, never by knowledge alone. I recommit to daily living what I know to be the Truth. Amen.