GET OUT YOUR SHOVEL

It is not hard to see the connection between the image at the heart of today’s passage from Luke 6 and the words that came to Charles Mote one morning as he walked to his cabinet shop. This passage holds Luke’s telling of Jesus’ well known teaching of the wise and foolish builders also found in Matthew 7 at the close of the Sermon on the Mount. Did you notice the detail that Luke alone includes in his telling? The wise builder is compared to a man who “dug down deep” in order to find solid rock on which to lay the foundation for the house. Luke emphasizes the effort and intention necessary to build properly. Clutter and debris often need to be cleared away to find the solid rock required to build wisely.  

As we begin this week of focus on building hope in our lives, it seems that Jesus is inviting us to get this project started by clearing the work site. Perhaps a wise first step is to spend some time thinking about our schedule, our habits, and our attachments. Are there things in your life that are cluttering up or blocking access to spending focused, unhurried time in His Word? It often takes considerable time for the structure of the house to begin to take shape. Don’t let the desire for change rush you into starting to build too quickly on a foundation that is cluttered with unsure ground.