Unshakeable

 ". . . When the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded upon a rock." (Luke 6:48)

For many decades, the massive oak tree stood tall and stately, offering welcomed shade with its canopy of spreading branches. The aged tree was the focal point of the backyard and a beautiful backdrop for family pictures. Over the years, we noticed the ground mounding on one side of the tree, and each year the mound heightened. After weeks of steady rainstorms, we heard a cracking sound one day, looked outside, and saw the backyard beauty, as its roots slowly ripped from the ground and fall. The tree fell because its roots were not well grounded.

As Jesus taught the masses of people, He asked why they continued calling on Him as Lord when they refused to do what He taught. He likened the person who listened and obeyed His words to that of a wise person who built a house on a firm foundation. It would withstand storms. But the opposite was true of people refusing to obey His teachings. Jesus said their homes built on the unstable ground would collapse.

A tree has no voice, no choice in where or how it grows, but we do. We decide whether to receive the gift of God’s Son and live securely in Him or reject Him and face life storms alone. We weather those storms by yielding to the lordship of Christ, but the key is listening to and obeying Jesus. As we study the Bible, setting deep roots, and live out its principles, we have a firm, unshakable foundation in Him, the solid Rock. People who reject God’s offer of safety and stability face collapse in uncertain times (v. 49). Sadly, their innocent loved ones sometimes suffer harm amid the heap of ruins because they refused to hear and obey God's Word.