Scripture:  Luke 6:46-48 (NIV)
“Why do you call me, treatment ‘Lord, sick Lord,’ and do not do what I say?  I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice.  He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock.  When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.”

Thought for the Day:  When I first moved to Southwest Florida, I lived in a dilapidated historic home built in 1920.  The home was believed to be one of Al Capone’s old Florida hide-a-ways, haunted, with an Indian mound on the property.  Rich in history, yes, but the home was in such a state of disrepair that I was scared to let the pizza delivery people step on the front porch!

There were holes in the floors of the porch and interior, the walls were missing large chunks of plaster, birds flew through the house via the chimney, and the ceiling caved in on me the first week that I lived there.   Even though it had already weathered decades of severe storms, the house really did seem to be on its last leg, so when hurricane Charley hit, I knew it would be wise to take shelter elsewhere.  When I returned to the house after the storm, with power out and trees down everywhere in the neighborhood (including one on top of my car), there stood the house, with the porch light on to welcome me back.  That experience proved that even with other features of the house caving and crumbling, the structure of the home was undeniably strong!

I can’t claim any kind of credit for the hearty construction of that house since it was built long before my time, but I can testify to the work of the wise folks who did build the house back in 1920.  The most important parts of the house were built to last, leaving a legacy (and perhaps a few headaches) for generations to come.  Sure, it’s not the material stuff that we build in our lifetimes that matters, but the core of who we are as children of God.  Even if some of the ancillary aspects of my life fall away over time, I hope that I am always digging deeper to build upon the rock of unwavering, enduring faith.

Prayer:  Eternal God, may I hear and put into practice your Word.  Acting upon your gracious guidance, may my vision for building something strong and lasting be for your glory, and for the benefit of others well beyond my own lifetime.