WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2025
[NEW YEAR’S EVE]
BIBLE TEXT: LUKE 6:46–49 (NIV)
[46] “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? [47] As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. [48] They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. [49] But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”
I. THE SPIRITUAL ARCHITECTURE OF THE SOUL
As we stand on the threshold of a new year, it is natural to look forward to new beginnings, new goals, and new resolutions. However, the Lord Jesus Christ, in this closing passage of Luke 6, directs our attention not to the roof or the walls of our lives, but to the foundation.
In the natural world, the foundation is the most expensive and labor-intensive part of a building, yet it is completely invisible once the structure is finished. In the spiritual world, your foundation is your private relationship with the Word of God and your secret obedience to His commands. On this last day of 2025, we must ask the critical question: What is the foundation of your life?
II. THE THREE-STEP PROCESS TO A ROCK-SOLID LIFE
Jesus outlines a specific three-step process for the man who builds on the rock. It is not enough to simply “be at the construction site.” You must follow the blueprint:
1. Coming to Him (“Everyone who comes to me…”)
The foundation begins with proximity. You cannot build a life on Christ if you are living at a distance from Him. Coming to Him involves a conscious decision to surrender your autonomy. It is the act of repositioning your life around His Lordship.
2. Hearing His Words (“…and hears my words…”)
We live in an age of information overload. We hear sermons, podcasts, and devotionals. Like the land which everyone has access to, the Word of God is available to all in 2025. However, “hearing” in the biblical sense is not just auditory; it is the focused attention of the soul.
3. Putting Them Into Practice (“…and puts them into practice.”)
This is the “digging deep” phase. Jesus asks the piercing question in verse 46: “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” Believing and living by the Word is synonymous with building a solid foundation. It is not enough to verbalize faith; it must be appropriated by a life of obedience. The “Lordship” of Christ is not a title we give Him; it is a reality we live out.
III. THE INEVITABILITY OF THE TORRENT
The text mentions two builders. Both built houses. To the casual observer walking by during a sunny day, both houses may have looked identical. They likely had similar windows, similar paint, and similar doors.
The difference was not in the appearance, but in the foundation.
A. The Test is Coming
Jesus does not say if the flood comes; He says “When a flood came…” The storms of life are inevitable. 2026 will bring its own set of challenges, economic shifts, health trials, and spiritual pressures. The flood does not create the weakness in the house; it simply reveals it.
B. The Torrent Struck
The Greek word for “torrent” implies a sudden, violent rushing of water. Some trials in life give us no warning. They strike suddenly. If you wait until the storm hits to start digging your foundation, it is already too late. A foundation must be laid in the “quiet” days of obedience so that it can hold in the “violent” days of the storm.
IV. A YEAR-END AUDIT: REVIEWING 2025
QUESTION: How have you lived your life in 2025?
As you look back over the past twelve months, consider the “floods” you faced.
- Did your peace remain intact when the news was bad?
- Did your character hold firm when you were tempted to compromise?
- Did your joy persist when your plans were delayed?
If your house shook violently or collapsed in certain areas, it is an indication that you were building on the “ground” of human effort, emotions, or opinions rather than the “Rock” of God’s Word.
V. PREPARING THE GROUND FOR 2026
The beauty of the Gospel is that even if your house has collapsed, the Architect is still available for a rebuild.
- Identify the Weak Points: Where did you call Him “Lord” but did your own thing? Was it in your finances? Your relationships? Your secret thought life?
- Dig Down Deep: “Digging deep” is painful. It requires removing the “dirt” of old habits and worldly philosophies. It means getting past the surface-level religion and reaching the bedrock of true surrender.
- Lay the Capstone of Obedience: Resolve that in 2026, your “Yes” to God will be immediate. When He speaks through His Word, let your response be action, not just “Amen.”
CONCLUSION: STRENGTH FOR THE NEW YEAR
A well-built life is unshakable. Not because the storm is weak, but because the Foundation is strong. As we transition into 2026, let us not be “hearers only,” deceiving ourselves, but let us be “doers of the Word.”
The foundation of your life is the only thing you will truly take with you into eternity. Build it on the Rock.
PRAYER & REFLECTION
PRAYER:
Dear Lord Jesus, I thank You for Your Word which is a Lamp and a Rock. I take this moment to address the areas where my foundation was weakest in 2025. I repent for the times I called You Lord but lived for myself. I present these weak areas to You now. [Pause and name them].
Father, I ask for the wisdom and the discipline to build correctly in 2026. Give me the grace to stand strong and to overcome my weakest points. Let my life be a testimony of a house well-built, that Your name may be glorified when the storms of the new year come. All these I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
DAILY AFFIRMATION FOR 2026:
“I am a doer of the Word. My life is built on the Rock of Christ. I am unshakable, immovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord.”
Stay blessed and live under an Open Heaven in 2026!
