Matthew 7:24-25 – 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. (NIV)

Caring for God's creatures is, for me, a privilege and a wondrous and enlightening experience. As I mentioned recently, however, it is not always fun or easy, as it requires much diligence and hard work in regard to cleaning up after the animals, especially during the long, bitter, winter months.

Day in and day out, come wind, sleet, snow, or sub-zero temperatures, you will find me at one time or another every day either in the dog enclosure or the horse corral digging and shovelling and hauling, to make sure things are as clean and sanitary as possible. And trust me, on those days when my fingers and toes are freezing in spite of all my warm attire and my back is screaming for relief, I truly wonder if it's all really worth it.

When spring arrives, however, and the snow and ice melt away to reveal the clean earth beneath, I have no regrets. All my winter toil has been more, much more, than worth the work.

Putting the words of Christ into practice is also a privilege and a wondrous and enlightening experience, bringing great joy and wisdom to His people. Doing so, however, is not always easy or fun, as it, too, requires much diligence and hard work, especially amidst seasons of difficulty in our lives. It is easy to put the words of our Lord into practice when things are going well in our lives, but when life is hard and our faith is put to the test, sometimes we wonder if doing the right thing is really worth it, whether it will pay off in the end.

The answer is yes, always, always, yes. The wise man who built his house upon the rock had no regrets when 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. In the same way, when we build our lives, day by day, around putting God's Word into practice, we, too, will have no regrets, when the days of our lives have melted away and we meet our Lord face to face in the springtime of eternity.

Prayer: Father God, thank You so much for the privilege of hearing and being able to put Your Word into practice day by day. Bless us with hearts and minds open to the strength and power of Your Holy Spirit that we may build our lives upon the rock of Your Word through the good times and bad times of this life, that on that final day, we shall have no regrets. In Christ's name, we ask. Amen.

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About the author:

Lynne Phipps <lynnephippsatlin@gmail.com>
Tawatinaw, Alberta, Canada
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