Standing on a Rock

The first time I saw the giant waves on the north side of Maui, I was standing on a large rock. At first, the waves didn’t appear large, but their sound gave them away. Roaring like a freight train, they rushed toward me, thirty and forty feet high just before crashing into the shore. Had I been on the sand below, I would have perished, but even as my heart pounded, I knew that on that rock I was safe.

Jesus said, “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock. . . .” (Matthew 7:24).

He was not talking about a literal rock like those on the beach at Maui. The context and language used shows that the rock He referred to is God’s Word. Building on it means that I read, pay attention, and obey what the Bible says. The rest of this passage promises that when I do that, the storms of life will not ruin me.

Today’s devotional makes a parallel to another passage in which the meaning has been a source of contention. After Peter confessed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” Jesus said to him, “ . . . flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church” (Matthew 16:16-18).

In these verses, Jesus’ word for “rock” is the same one He used in Matthew 7:24, petra. While Peter’s name also comes from a similar Greek word (petros), the way Jesus uses “rock” here points more toward the Word of God being the foundation for His living and enduring church as well as the foundation for a solid Christian life. A living thing seems unlikely to be based on a man who has died. It makes more sense that in both places, this “rock” is the Word of God, because it is living and endures forever.

When I think about the eternal quality of what God has recorded for us, it makes total sense to me that I should read, study, listen to and obey the Bible. This is the bedrock of God’s revelation. It is His mind, His truth. Other books, languages, ideas and philosophies come and go, but the Bible is still the best-selling book in the world. It has survived countless attacks and criticisms, but the best test of all is using it as a foundation for life, then finding out that big waves and massive trials cannot shake me or my faith in its Author!