Matthew 7:24-27 “everyone” pas Jesus is talking about you. Well, he’s really talking about everyone, but any time Jesus talks about everyone, you can insert your own name. After all, you’re part of everyone. That’s a pretty personal thing! What is Jesus saying about you today? Today, he’s telling you what it takes to be wise or foolish. We’ll get into wisdom and foolishness over the next couple of days, so no rush there. But first, let’s get back to this “everyone.” Everyone falls into these categories. Your parents? Your kids? Your coworkers? The woman working the cash register? Your buddy? Oprah? Yes, all of these people fall into one of these two categories. All of them are either wise or foolish. There’s no in between here. Yet, when we think about “everybody,” we tend to think “everybody else.” We think about how foolish this person is, or how wise that person over there might be. (Personally, I struggle more with thinking about how foolish others are. Do you?) It’s true that this goes to everybody…. But also apply it to yourself. Go ahead, insert your name in the blanks: “Therefore, when _________ hears these words of mine and puts them into practice, they’re 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 when _____________ hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice, they’re 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.” Does that scare you a little? When you’re honest, do you find that you fit more into that second category – the category of “hearing Jesus’s words but not obeying them”? That is scary. But put your name in the blanks here, too: “For God so loved ______________, that he sent his one and only Son, so that _____________ believes in him and has eternal life.” Whenever you read an “everybody” or “whoever” in Scripture, put your name there. Not only in places that show how far short we fall… but also in places that talk about what Jesus has done to rescue you. Go Deeper: • Once more read Matthew 7:24-27, inserting your name. Another way to make the “everybody includes me” come alive is to read sections that talk about “us” and include yourself in that “us.” Try it with Isaiah 53 to see how far Jesus went for you. • Do you have a harder time applying certain portions of Scripture to yourself – either what God has told you to do, or what he says he has done for you? Spend time examining your heart and asking why you don’t trust God when he says this is for you. Confess that refusal to trust and ask for forgiveness, confident your Father will give it!
Posted on: Mon, 29 Jul 2013 11:20:52 +0000
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