"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name? Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you evil-doers.’

"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell – and great was its fall!"

Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

Matthew 7:21-29

Tragedies are seldom the result of one single action, a single event, or a single mistake. They are the culmination of things in your life. Something happens and it becomes a catalyst for all the things you have had at risk.

In 1996 there was an ill dated expedition in which eight climbers died on Mount Everest. That "something" was a raging blizzard. If not for the storm, the climbers may have gotten away with taking so many risks. The storm exposed their weaknesses. The things at risk today in your life might be matters of spiritual indifference or disobedience, and they can overcome you when the storms come. And the storms will come. Count on it.

Obedience to Christ does not eliminate the storms of our lives, but it does determine whether we fall or stand in the storm. The storms of life reveal the strength of our faith.

Our Daily Bread – November 11, 2003