Friend, if your life is falling apart, you may want to examine your foundation. Just like houses with poor foundations, our lives will crumble if they do not have the proper footing.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke of two kinds of builders — wise and foolish. These two men had some things in common. They were building in the same general area; were probably using some of the same materials; using similar building plans; and, they were both building with an impending storm.

However, there was one great difference. One dug down to the bedrock and laid his foundation. The other simply poured a slab and started putting up walls and a roof, on shifting sand. When the storm came one stood, but the other fell.

Jesus said the wise builder was like the one who hears His word and does it. Are you listening to God? Good! But, are you doing it? James says that a man is self-deceived if he just walks away and does not obey!

What happens when you worry? You bring tomorrow's difficulty into today. God did not give you grace for tomorrow's difficulties. He only gives you grace for today. When you reach into tomorrow's troubles, you overload today's circuit.

Worry doesn't take the sorrow out of tomorrow; it takes the strength out of today. When you meet tomorrow, you are out of breath because you're already overloaded from today. Worry, therefore, does not make you ready for the future; it really makes you unready.

Yesterday is just a canceled check. Tomorrow is a
promissory note. Today has all the cash you can handle. Spend it wisely.

“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34).

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:7).

According to an article, Henry Ford asked some engineers to box the transmissions for his Model-T Fords in certain sized boxes. He gave meticulous dimensions and material instructions for these boxes. The builders were confused, but they did as they were told. When the transmissions were delivered, the factory workers took apart the boxes and used them for the floorboards! Mr. Ford was thinking ahead!

That's what God does. According to Matthew 6:8, He knows what we need even before we ask. We may not understand all His ways, just like those people who were boxing up the transmissions did not understand. “We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7). We may not always understand, but we live by His promises.

His promises are “Yes, and Amen” (2 Cor. 1:20). Their certainty rest upon His faithfulness. The statement is true, “Never doubt in the darkness what God has promised you in the light.” Live life in the assurance of Almighty God!

One of the great challenges of life is to judge people by their character rather than their physical appearance or abilities. An athlete may be gifted with great ability to play a sport while the crippled man comes in after the game and sweeps up the trash.

What we need to remember is that neither of them had the opportunity to say, “I want to be this way.” Solomon said, “I…saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the warriors…but time and chance overtake them all” (Ecc. 9:11).

Let us recognize and applaud the accomplishments of the man who has fully used his superior talent. Let us also recognize the man with inferior talents who is also daily doing his best. We can’t all be superstars. We can’t all be in the headlines. I like the philosophy of the person who said, “Maybe I can’t be the best, but I can be my best!”

A small dry goods store in a small rural town was visited by a man from the state’s weight and measures department. He found the yardstick being used to sell fabric was one inch short. “That’s impossible!” said the owner. “That yardstick was used by my dad and grandfather. They would not have cheated anyone! They were honest, Christian men.”

The inspector paused for a second and then said, “Sir, I’m sure your father and grandfather were honest. In fact, they were so honest what do you think they would have done if they had made this discovery?” Without hesitation, the owner said, “They would have made it right …and that’s what I’m going to do.”

Often people will not accept plain Bible teaching because it is NOT what their parents believed. What do you think those honest parents would have done if they had learned the truth? Will you do any less?

Proverbs 23:23 says, “Buy truth, and do not sell it.” A precious commodity like truth should be valued at all costs!

How many friends do you have? Out of those friends how many of them would you count as close friends? And, out of those close friends, how many of them would you say are closer to you than a brother?

The fact is that many of us have acquaintances, but our friends are few. It is even rarer to have a close friend. Rarer still to have a friend closer than a brother. There are many people who believe they have no friends at all.

I have good news for all of us. Solomon said, “there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” That friend is Jesus. He is a friend of sinners and saints alike. He gave His life for his friends.

Even the man who is alone is never lonely when he knows Jesus Christ. Jesus is much more than a friend. He is closer than a brother. He is a savior and a comforter. He has promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Do you hear preachers refer often to the “Gospel” and wonder what they are talking about?

The word “Gospel” means good news. The primary message of the Gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:3,4).

You may wonder why someone’s death would be good news. It is good news because in Jesus’ death He paid the penalty for our sin. In His resurrection, He defeated the power of the Devil.

Because Jesus paid the penalty for sin it is not necessary that any of us die. By trusting in Him, we can live forever (John 11:25,26).

Now that is “good news!”

Whoever you are, there is some younger person who thinks you are perfect.
Whoever you are, there is some work that will not get done unless you do it.
Whoever you are, there is someone who would miss you if you were gone.
Whoever you are, there is a reason for becoming better than you are.
Whoever you are, there is a place to be filled that you alone can fill.

Jesus emphasized the importance of personal example in His sermon on the Mount as He stated, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Only YOU can set YOUR personal example.

What kind of example have you been setting so far in your life? How can you change to be a better example? Others are looking for it. Your relationship with God depends on it.

The ingredients that make up the recipe of a good life are:
1 cup of good thoughts
1 cup of consideration for others
1 cup of kind deeds
3 cups of forgiveness
2 cups of well beaten faults

Several tears of joy, sorrow and sympathy; combine with 4 cups of prayer and faith. Mix good thoughts, kind deeds, consideration, forgiveness and well-beaten faults. Add a mixture of tears of joy, sorrow and sympathy for others. Fold in prayer and faith to lighten other ingredients and raise the texture to great heights of Christian living. Pour all of this into your family life. Bake well with the heart of human kindness. Serve liberally with a smile.

Peter writes, “For, ‘The one who desires life, to love and see good days, must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit. He must turn away from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.” (1 Peter 3:10-11).

God is interested in our hearing. The Jews heard, but they did not hear! Many today hear, but they actually do not listen.

There are different kinds of hearers and listeners. One can listen to criticize; they can pick the words, sentences, or facts apart. They hear errors but not the truth.

Then there are those who listen in resentment. They hear with hate; with hostility. Truth does no change their intellect, but fire their passions.

Some listen with superiority. This is snobbery at its worst. These people do not listen but hear your words to be polite.

Some, though, listen to learn. They are seeking, knocking, and asking. These people will hear and obey the truth and then they will grow rapidly. They are blessed because they are good listeners!

Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 11:15).