ICS Daily Devotions
The Wise Man
Matthew 7:24-25 (NKJV) “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: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
A wise man is someone who builds the foundation of their life on the Word of God. The Word of God is how God reveals Himself to us; it belongs to us in Christ. When we build our life’s foundation on it instead of the opinions of men, no storm or flood that come against us during our lifetime can shake or destroy it.
Basing our self-worth on our achievements puts us on a constant performance treadmill to gain man’s praise and acceptance out of our fear of rejection, but once we have chosen to have a paradigm shift and made God our only cheerleader, it liberates us from having to perform for man’s approval and acceptance. Even losing our position of significance won’t affect emotionally. We have nothing to prove because God has already approved of us based on Jesus’ redemptive work on the cross. Hidden in Christ, we have come to a position rest from people and God. It is from this foundation that we can purposefully live our lives for the Lord. It gives us a picture of a very stable man who has chosen to establish His foundation on Jesus Christ the rock.
These “new creation” realities form your foundation of faith and identity in Christ: –
• God showed me that I am worthy and priceless when He sent Jesus to die for me (John 3:16)
• In Christ, I do not perish but have eternal life. (John 5:24, John 3:15)
• In Christ, I am a child of God. (John 1:12, Galatians 3:28)
• In Christ, I am an heir of God, joint heir with Christ and will glorify with Him. (Romans 8:17)
• In Christ, I am accepted in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:6)
• In Christ, I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)
• In Christ, God shall supply all my needs according to His glorious riches. (Philippians 4:19)
• In Christ, I am His workmanship, therefore He has a good plan for me. (Ephesians 2:10)
• In Christ, I have this confidence that He hears my prayer when I am praying according to His will for my life. (1 John 5:14)
A wise person would want God as their sole cheerleader in life. He is the master craftsman who has given us all our gifts and talents, which makes us a steward of everything He has given us. We will be faithful with the little that He has given us, and won’t run ahead of Him making our own decisions but follow closely behind His Lordship. This is how we live a consecrated life where we intentionally yoke ourselves to Him.
Sermon Series: He Came to Give You a New Identity (Part 2)
