Solid sand...

...is still sand.

The parable of the wise and foolish man is applicable in every situation in life. Let's read it first:

Matthew 7: 24 - 27 (Amplified)

²⁴ So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts upon them [obeying them] will be like a sensible (prudent, practical, wise) man who built his house upon the rock.

²⁵ And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat 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 stupid (foolish) man who built his house upon the sand.

²⁷ And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great and complete was the fall of it.

I agree that hearing the Word of God is definitely easier than obeying it and there are times when it is difficult to fully obey the Word of God. In fact, more than once, I've found myself listening to the Word and "know" who it is meant for - then the Holy Spirit gently nudges me and whispers: "Why isn't this Word for you?" So now I pay attention and ensure that I take something away from every exposure I have to the Word of God.

That's one reason why it saddens me when I meet Christians who treat God's Word (and explicit instructions) as a buffet. The fact of life is that no matter how articulate you are in quoting the Scriptures, picking and choosing which ones to obey is not just building on sand but building with sand. Being "foolish" as described by Jesus is one thing but being foolishly foolish is a sorry state. No matter how packed and solid your selective obedience is, "solid sand" is still sand.

As I said, obeying the Word is not always easy. However, when you realize how tough it was for Jesus to give it all up just to give us a "rich and satisfying life,"* why won't you give in and obey fully so you can receive and truly enjoy that life fully? (BTW, Jesus sweated "blood"** for us to enjoy the unlimited bounties of God's storehouse.)

David declared: "Lord, you have hidden away many wonderful things for your followers. You have done so many good things for those who trust in you. You have blessed them so that all the world can see." (Psalm 31:19 - Easy-to-Read Version)

So no matter how difficult it may be, keep building on the Rock - hearing and obeying the Word. There a lots of benefits in this world and the best ones are out-of-this-world. God bless you.

References:
*John 10:10b - "My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life." (NLT)
** Luke 22:44 - "He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood." (ERV)