sermon on the mount Archives | Heavenly Homemakers

A female chaffinch sitting on a branch of a hawthorn tree.

Always the most profound truths are those that are the most simple. I am amazed at what God keeps teaching me based on scripture I’ve read and known my entire life.

Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:34). Ain’t that the truth? I know this, and you know this – but I believe that worrying about tomorrow (and today and yesterday and next week and 2016 and…) is one of our biggest battles as humans.

I’ve been wrestling tremendously with this the past few weeks. Mistakes of yesterday, fears about tomorrow, questions about the future, anger over what I can’t control – they threaten to take over my thoughts. Why, when I know better, do I let worry cripple me? Why, when I believe Jesus’ promises to take care of me, to provide for my every need, and to take care of all of my tomorrows do I still choose to let worried thoughts claim my heart?

Lord, I believe. Please help my unbelief.

I was led to return to the truth of the passage above and read it within its context. Matthew 6:19-21 say, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Yep, I know. I’ve read that one my whole life too. Treasure in heaven, got it. I’m not much into material possessions. I don’t care at all about having lots of stuff. Thieves would roll their eyes and be bored in our house (unless, of course, they are interested in a loaf of homemade bread). Riches. Jewels. Nice vehicles and a bunch of flat screen TVs. That’s what the scripture is talking about, right?

Sure, if that’s what your struggle is. But who says treasure means stuff? The question I should be asking is, “What or who has hold of my heart?” because as the scripture says, “where my treasure is, that is where my heart is also.” If my heart is so caught up in the worries of this world that I fail to recognize that God is in control, that God is taking care of me, and that Jesus has already claimed the victory – then the treasure I’m claiming is my self. The thieves are the lies I am choosing to believe which hold me in bondage and steal my most prized possession: The joy given to me by Jesus.

We can not serve two masters. Self cannot be our master, unless we desire to live a life of worry and fear. Our job is to lay ourselves down and eagerly seek first (not second or third) His kingdom and His righteousness. That’s it. God takes care of the rest. That is His promise to us.

So today? We choose to accept God’s gift of peace. He’ll give it to us tomorrow too, and the next day, and the next. Worrying about tomorrow (or 2016) offers us no answers – only misery.

Focus on today. Today only. Jesus is here, rescuing us from fear and frustration and replacing them with the greatest treasure to fill our hearts: His peace. Rest in this promise. Today. Tomorrow. Always.

gratituesday[2]

Jesus had just finished speaking to a group of people as He sat on the side of a mountain. In His sermon, He had given His blessing to those who were mourning, to those who were being peacemakers, to those who were poor in spirit. He admonished the crowd to check their hearts to be sure their anger wasn’t taking them down a path of destruction. He encouraged them all, letting them know that they were the salt and the light, created to be a blessing to those around them. He counseled the crowd not only to love their enemies, but to pray for them. He spoke to them about prayer, about giving, and about seeking the Father and storing up treasure in heaven.

Perhaps you’re quite familiar with this “Sermon on the Mount” as we often call it. You can find it in Matthew 5-7.

What strikes me most about these words of Jesus is how He ends His speech: “Therefore anyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

The Rock

I pause to emphasize that He does not say “a rock” but “the rock.” THE rock. Shall we continue?

“The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house; yet it did not fall…” Why?? “…because it had its foundation on the rock.” Jesus, of course, goes on to say that the foolish fella who does not listen to Him and put His words into practice is like one who built his house on the sand. The rain came, the streams rose, and the winds blew, and the house fell to the ground with a crash.

What do the wise man and the foolish man have in common? They both experienced the rain and the wind that beat against their house. Jesus does not tell us that if we listen to Him, obey Him, and “build our house on the rock” that we will not be hit by a storm. He tells us that if we plant ourselves firmly on the Rock, then our house will continue to stand strong through each storm.

Instead of being discouraged, I am comforted by the fact that Jesus says “when” not “if” in regard to life’s storms. Why should I be naïve or in denial about the fact that there’s always going to be something going on in life that is (from our perspective) less than ideal? We aren’t in heaven yet, after all. Sometimes the storm may be mild, coming in the form of a few sprinkles that spit against the windows and make them smudgy. Sometimes the storm rages, appearing as a hurricane that seems to have no ending. It’s not fun. It hurts. It’s hard.

So we obey Jesus’ teaching, look up toward the Father who promises to hold us fast, and build our house on the Rock. When the rain and wind come, we stand firm. And we look forward with hope toward the promise God gave us. We’re not gonna fall. Our Foundation is mighty!

Now your turn. Share what you’re thankful for! Leave a comment on this post letting us know how God is working in your life. If you’ve written a blog post about what you’re thankful for, leave the link in the comments so we can visit your blog to read about it. We love sharing and reading about God’s blessings!

Just Today

Gratituesday: When the Wind Blows