The Upper Room 11 March 2024 Devotional Message
Read The Upper Room 11 March 2024 Devotional Message for Saturday wriiten by Valerie Clark (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa)
TOPIC: Strength in the Storm
TODAY’S READING
Matthew 7:24-29
Two foundations
24 “Everybody who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise builder who built a house on bedrock. 25 The rain fell, the floods came, and the wind blew and beat against that house. It didn’t fall because it was firmly set on bedrock. 26 But everybody who hears these words of mine and doesn’t put them into practice will be like a fool who built a house on sand. 27 The rain fell, the floods came, and the wind blew and beat against that house. It fell and was completely destroyed.”
Crowd’s response
28 When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were amazed at his teaching 29 because he was teaching them like someone with authority and not like their legal experts.
Jesus said, “Everybody who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise builder who built a house on bedrock.” – Matthew 7:24 (CEB)
Where I live, we have had a very wet summer with some violent thunderstorms. The rain has been relentless, trees have been uprooted, and rivers are swollen and overflowing. During one storm water gushed under the back door of our home. This made me think of Jesus’ story about the two men who each built a house: one on the sand and one on the rock.
No doubt the sky was clear and bright when the first man built his house on the sand. He wasn’t contemplating any storms. The other man considered that storms must inevitably come to all of us, so he built his house on the rock. When the first storm came, the house on the sand collapsed, while the one on the rock withstood the weather.
If we keep spiritually strong by reading the Bible, praying, engaging in spiritual practices, and worshiping with fellow believers in Christ, we can recover from adverse circumstances more easily. When our lives are grounded and firmly set on the Rock and his teachings, we can weather the storms that come our way.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Lord, help us faithfully to build our lives on you and what you are teaching us. Help us to be bold in our witness and to stand strong with you. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
When the storms of life are raging, Jesus stands with me.
PRAYER FOCUS
Those coping with adverse weather
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