We’re excited to read Vicki Weimer devotional thoughts this week! Stop by the contributors page to learn more about her!

Am I your Boss or not?

Typically, when I read about the wise man and the foolish man building a house on the rock or the sand, my mind pictures a storm crashing on the houses while I simultaneously hum the children’s tune in my head. While reading this passage in Luke recently, though, I noticed something different. Jesus introduced the account by saying, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). Essentially, He was asking them, “Why bother calling Me ‘Boss’ when you refuse to obey Me?” Then He launched straight into the lesson about the foundations of rock versus sand. If I want the privilege of calling Him “Lord,” I had better dig deep and lay my foundation on a rock. 

When the builders in Iceland laid the foundation for our church building, they dug deep. I was not there, but witnesses told me they thought the builders would never stop digging. They had to dig until they hit solid rock. Then they could lay the rest of the foundation on that stone. I am thankful for that long and expensive process because the building has stood firm. We have had hundreds of thousands of earthquakes and several volcanic eruptions in our area over the years. We also have gale-force winds bashing the building from the North Atlantic all winter long. The building has withstood them all and still stands. I am glad those builders found that rock upon which to build the foundation.

“This Rock is Jesus, Yes He’s the One, This Rock is Jesus, the only One;” wrote Ruth Caye Jones in her song “In Times Like These.”  Long before Jesus came to earth as a baby, Prophets foretold that He would be the Cornerstone. “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste” (Isaiah 28:16). “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner” (Psalm 118:22). The apostle Paul wrote “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:20). Wisdom demands that we build our life on the Rock called Jesus.

With Jesus as the Cornerstone of the foundation of our faith, we can build our lives wisely. Storms can rage against us, but we can stand firm knowing we have built our life securely on Him. Arguably, more important than the wisdom and security described in this passage, though, lies the fundamental premise that if we want the privilege of calling Jesus our Lord, we need to obey Him in this. I want to build my life on the solid Rock so that there can be no doubt that He is my Boss.