Devotional: The Word of Jesus is the foundation on which to build a solid life

The Empire State Building in New York City soars above the sidewalks at “the world’s most crowded crossroads,” Fifth Avenue and 34th Street. Simple and majestic, it rises 103 stories, that is 1,250 — or nearly a quarter of a mile — straight up from the street.

The building has 6,000 windows, 75 miles of main water pipes, 50 miles of radiator pipe, 700 tons of aluminum and stainless steel in the outer walls. There are 2 million feet of electric wires and 350,000 electric light sockets.

The Empire State Building can house 25,000 workers. An additional 40,000 daily visitors can be accommodated, and in an emergency, 80,000 can find shelter there.

Its enormous weight — 303,000 tons of steel, stone and other material — demanded a sure foundation, and that it has. The foundation reaches down 33 feet below the sidewalk,and rests on stratum granite — the firmest foundation in the world, for it is the basic rock, which is the earth itself.

Geologists assure us that this bedrock will never slip or give.

As Christians, we have a firm foundation as well — as sturdy as that of the Empire State Building. It’s God’s Word, and Jesus said we’re wise if we apply His words to our lives.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is 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.” (Matthew 7:24-25)

Let’s not just read the Bible, but also do what it says.

Jesus’ half-brother, James, would agree whole-heartedly with that assessment: “Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it — he will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1:22-25)

This story was originally published October 20, 2017 at 9:39 AM with the headline "Devotional: The Word of Jesus is the foundation on which to build a solid life."