God’s truth, God’s solid foundation stands firm (2 Timothy 2:19).
Matthew 7:24-27
24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.
25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.
26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand.
27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
Life is filled with uncertainty. Everyone has the right to choose what they base their belief system and life upon. The choices are almost boundless. How do we make the best choices? On planet earth, there are only two things which will last forever: human souls and The Word of God.
The Father provides a best choice scenario. His solution is rock solid. It is firm, sure, dependable, and steadfast.
What is His firm foundation? The Lord Jesus Christ explained it to us by way of analogy. He focused on prudent and effective building practices. Wise builders seek the best possible foundations for their structures. When we listen to the words of the Lord Jesus Christ and follow them, we choose to build our lives upon an immovable, bedrock, firm foundation of truth.
Matthew 7:24 Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.
The Spanish-American war came just 33 years after the end of the US Civil War, and tensions between the North and the South were still high.
On Christmas Eve, 1898, the United States Army corps was encamped near Havana, Cuba. The sentry’s call rang out at 12 AM, all’s well. It was Christmas morning.
From the camp of the Forty-ninth Iowa, rose the music of the old familiar hymn, “How Firm a Foundation.” A baritone voice sang the chorus: ‘How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord!’ One voice after another joined in. Soon some fifteen thousand American army troops were singing! North and South, Protestant and Catholic, were singing together in unity as Americans.
Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed;
For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.
This comforting Christian hymn was first published in 1787 in a hymnbook edited by John Rippon. The Northern soldier knew the hymn as one he had learned beside his mother’s knee. To the Southern soldier it was that and something more; it was the favorite hymn of General Robert E. Lee, and it was sung at his funeral.
REFLECT & PRAY
In good times, the strength of our foundation appears not to matter. But when the storms come, it is another matter altogether.
Father, thank you for providing the firmest of immovable foundations, following the words of your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
INSIGHT
God’s truth stands firm (2 Timothy 2:19). The foundation that the Father provides is solid and dependable. Whatever the Father has Himself established cannot be shaken, altered, or moved. The Father’s solid foundation stands firm, because it is solely dependent upon the Father’s immovable character. Failure is never an option with the Father. Whatever He begins is completed on schedule.
The Greek word translated firm or sure is stereos. Stereos refers to something that is not soft and does not yield to pressure. It can be translated as strong, sure, steadfast, firm, immovable, solid, hard, or rigid. The English word stereo is derived from this term.
The foundations which the world offers are uncertain, temporary, and lead to eternal death. The foundation which the Lord Jesus Christ offers is absolute truth, permanent, and provides eternal life.
“Picture these two houses. There may not be much in their external appearance to enable the casual observer to distinguish between them. Both seem attractive and clean, freshly painted perhaps. One, however, has its foundation resting securely on bedrock; the other has as its foundation nothing more substantial than sand.”
“Only the most severe storm will betray the difference; but granted the storm, the betrayal is inevitable” (D. A. Carson).
The Lord Jesus Christ explains that there are wise and unwise foundations available to build our lives upon: rock or sand. It is one thing to hear, approve, and admire the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. But more is required to avoid disaster. His words must be followed.
Matthew 7:24-27
24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock . . . it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.
26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand . . . it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
The Father offers a firm foundation. The words of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the rest of Scripture, understood and followed, provide solid rock.
What are you building your life upon? Is the foundation you have chosen enough? If not, is disaster crouching at the door?
How Firm a Foundation
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?
Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed,
for I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.
When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
the rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
for I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply.
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I will not desert to his foes;
that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 12-29-9
Dr H Reflections 