Sure Thing: 3-Day Devotional With Hillsong UNITEDনমুনা

SURE THING

Part Three: The Bedrock Fool

“I’d rather be a bedrock fool

Who trusts in nothing less than You

When every other sure thing surely fails”

—Sure Thing

Wisdom. Foolishness. Trust. Jesus sat on a mountainside, surrounded by His disciples and a crowd of people who were curious to hear what He had to say. He taught them about loving others, living generously, and how to walk the path of righteousness. Then, after He had spoken for a while, He said, “Everyone who hears my teaching and applies it to his life can be compared to a wise man who built his house on an unshakable foundation.” He went on, “When the rains fell and the flood came, with fierce winds beating upon his house, it stood firm because of its strong foundation.”

As followers of Jesus, we don’t simply hold Him up as an example of a good man. We anchor ourselves to the truth of His words, and for that, we may face ridicule or persecution. The message of Jesus is foolishness to the world and offensive to many who would call themselves religious. It’s hard to understand how God would step into our brokenness just to suppress His power, take on our mess, our sin, and then humbly die. It doesn’t make sense. Yet that is the gospel of Jesus, the message of His upside-down kingdom that tells us to lose ourselves to find life.

Jesus finished His thought by comparing those who hear His words and don’t apply them to a foolish person who built their house on sand. When the storm beat on the house, “it collapsed and was swept away.” In this world gone mad, there are empires built on sand, divisive cultures that seek to seduce our hearts and motivate us to build our lives on pervasive thoughts, here-today-gone-tomorrow mindsets, or simple distractions. When life’s tempest comes though, all these pillars crumble and are washed away, sadly shaking the faith, mental health, and hopes of many.

But there is hope! His name is Jesus. Despite the scoffing and mockery that may come your way for standing on the rock, when the hard times come and the mettle of your faith is tested, God will keep your mind in perfect peace and the proverbial house you’ve been building will stand firm because of its strong foundation. As followers of Jesus, we don’t substitute shiny societal trends for truth, and we don’t build with rubble scraps gathered from other failed attempts in our life. We build with the truth of God’s word. We remain bedrock fools, anchored in the hope, love, grace, faith, and purpose of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Reflection & Application:

Take a few moments to pause and quiet your mind. Have you built your life, house, business, or ministry on ground that shifts and shakes? If you’re not sure, ask yourself this… Have I established my beliefs on the words I hear from friends, family, and colleagues, or have I built on the Word of God? Does the fruit of my life speak of humility, kindness, peace, and faith, or are my emotions and beliefs tossed back and forth depending on the matters of the day? Whether you’re happy with your answer or not, you can choose in this moment to leave mindsets and beliefs behind, anchor yourself in the sure foundation of God’s Word, and live as a bedrock fool.

Prayer:

Jesus, I come to You right now, asking that You will help me to secure my faith, hope, and trust in You and You alone. I know that there are so many other things or people who I can build my life on, but I refuse to establish my life on the prevailing thoughts of this world, and instead, I decide right now that Your grace is sufficient for me and Your Word is all I need. Help me to apply the truths of Your teaching to my life and to see the fruits of the spirit as a result. I will hold onto You and nothing else. Thank You for Your faithfulness. Amen.