Weekday Devotionals - Samantha

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me on that day [when I judge them], ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and driven out demons in Your name, and done many miracles in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them publicly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me [you are banished from My presence], you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands].’24 “So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, will be like a wise man [a far-sighted, practical, and sensible man] who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods and torrents came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them, will be like a foolish (stupid) man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods and torrents came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great and complete was its fall.”– Matthew 7:21-25 (AMP)

Jesus’ metaphor to think of life like a house is a perfect place to go with my writing as we end this year—and guess what? You’re the main house of my story! Beautiful, unique, and full of potential. But my story isn’t just about your big, beautiful house because while you’re working on building your own house, you’re also in charge of a whole neighborhood. The smaller houses around you? Those represent your family, friends, spouse, kids, job, church, and all the other parts of life that make up your world. And just like the main house, they all need a cornerstone—a solid foundation to keep them standing strong.

And that cornerstone, is Jesus.

Would you ever build your dream house on sand? No, probably not. Sand shifts, crumbles, and falls apart when the storms come. The same thing happens when we try to build our lives on anything other than Jesus. But when Jesus is our foundation—the mighty rock—we can withstand anything, life throws our way. And here’s the beauty of it: you can also start with a cornerstone for all of the buildings surrounding you, building a firm foundation for each one. Impacting everything and everyone around you. Your marriage, parenting, work relationships, and friendships all benefit from the stability Jesus brings.

As we enter a new year, it’s the perfect time to reflect. Are you following Jesus and striving to be like Him? Are you showing His love and grace in all the corners of your life? Being like Jesus isn’t about having it all together; it’s about being authentic, loving, and grace-filled—even when it’s hard. It’s forgiving when we’d rather hold a grudge and choosing kindness when snapping back feels a little bit easier. It’s a daily commitment to let Him lead.

Taking some time in prayerful conversation:

As this year closes, what areas of your life need to be rebuilt on Jesus, the cornerstone? How can you invite Him to strengthen both your house and the entire neighborhood in this new year?

- Samantha