Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall (Matthew 7:24-27).
The foundation of a house determines its strength. Wind and water are powerful forces of nature, but a house built on the right foundation can remain strong when they rise against it.
Likewise, a person who chooses to be a doer of the Word of God, that is, to put the Word into practice in his or her life, has a firm foundation for living. Adversity has many faces and comes to us from so many sources, but a person who chooses to live life by obeying the Word will come out on top every time!
The Word of God never changes nor will it ever fade into useless nothingness. It’s eternal (Matthew 24:35). The Word of God will always accomplish the purpose for which it was sent (Isaiah 55:11). The Word has been sent by the Father to produce forgiveness, healing, strength, love, joy, patience, victory, prosperity, and abundance.
The Father is always watching over His Word to make it good where believed (Jeremiah 1:12). Earthly things wear out, but the Word of God endures and is ageless (Isaiah 40:8). It is stronger than rock, and is forever established and settled (Psalm 119:89). The Father will never break the covenant He has with His Word. It will always produce fruit, and will be honored by the Father in the life of whoever believes it (Psalm 89:34)!
Since the Father’s Word is so sure, the best assurance of a blessed future is obeying and lining your life up with the Word of God right now. A step away from the Word is inviting disaster. A decision to go your own way at the neglect of the Word is an invitation for the thief to invade your life by stealing, killing, and destroying in some way. It’s a really bad idea to forsake the Word of God for your own way!
The Word is actually a living force inside the believer. The Word is our contact with the Father! Notice 1 Thessalonians 2:13 (Amplified) - And we also especially thank God continually for this, that when you received the message of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of mere men, but as it truly is, the Word of God, which is effectually at work in you who believe, exercising its superhuman power in those who adhere to and trust in and rely on it. The Word contains superhuman power! The Word super in supernatural means above the natural, so living a supernatural life is living above the natural life!
When the world and circumstances and Google says you’re not going to make it, a person who lives by the Word says - in all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. When sickness knocks at the door of your life, a person who lives by the Word says - Himself took my infirmities and bare my sicknesses and with His stripes I am healed! When an impossible looking task is before you, a person who lives by the Word says - I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!
The key is not just hearing the Word, and just not reading the Word, but doing the Word! James tells us: But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it (James 1:22-25-NLT).
I’m still amazed at how a person can hear the Word week after week, month after month, and year after year, and still refuse to act on it when challenges come. Don’t ever let yourself get so burdened that you make a decision that is contrary to the Word. Never turn a deaf ear to God’s will as found in His Word. That decision is a disaster in the making. The flood and winds of life will destroy a person who willfully chooses to ignore the Father’s counsel.
Over the years I’ve seen people overcome great adversity and succeed when failure seemed apparent by simply firmly choosing to obey God’s Word when it was not the most convenient or the most comfortable thing to do. You’ll always come out on top if you’ll obey God and stand on His Word. It’s not always the easiest route. And yes, there are challenges when you choose the Father’s way through the Word. But the end result will always be the same. Victory, success, peace, and joy will rule your life!