A solid foundation ··
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 permeated with uncertainty. Everyone has the right and privilege to choose the foundation upon which their belief system is based. The possibilities are vast, varied, and virtually without end. How do we make the best choices? On planet Earth, there are only two things that last forever: human souls and The Word of God.
The Father presents an optimal scenario, a solution that is unshakable, resolute, reliable, and unwavering.
What serves as His unwavering foundation?
The Lord Jesus Christ illustrated it using an analogy, emphasizing prudent and effective building practices. Wise builders strive to secure the optimal foundation for their structures. In a similar fashion, when we heed the words of the Lord Jesus Christ and put them into practice, we opt to construct our lives upon an immovable, solid 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.
Merely 33 years after the conclusion of the US Civil War, the Spanish-American war erupted. Tensions between the troops from the North and the South were still high.
On Christmas Eve, 1898, the United States Army Corps was encamped close to Havana, Cuba. As the clock struck midnight, the sentry’s call echoed, declaring “All’s well.” It marked the dawning of Christmas morning.
The music of the old and cherished hymn, “How Firm a Foundation,” rose from the camp of the Forty-ninth Iowa. A baritone voice led the chorus: “How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord!” Gradually, one voice after another joined in. Before long, some fifteen thousand American army troops were singing in unison. Soldiers from the North and the South, Protestants, and Catholics, sang 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 consoling Christian hymn made its first appearance in a hymnbook edited by John Rippon in 1787. For the Northern soldier, it held memories of learning it beside his mother’s knee. However, for the Southern soldier, it carried an even deeper significance – it was the beloved hymn of General Robert E. Lee and was sung at his funeral.
REFLECT & PRAY
In good times, the strength of our foundation appears not to matter. However, when the storms of life 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
The truth of God is firm and stands resolute, uncompromising, and immovable (2 Timothy 2:19). The foundation provided by the Father is solid and dependable. Whatever the Father established cannot be shaken, altered, or displaced. His rock-solid foundation endures because it is grounded upon the Father’s unchanging character. Failure is never an option for the Father. Whatever He begins, He completes precisely as planned and on schedule.
The Greek word translated as 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 various foundations offered by the world are uncertain, fleeting, and lead to eternal death. In contrast, the foundation presented by the Lord Jesus Christ 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 teaches that there are two types of foundations to build our lives upon wise and unwise. He likens them to rock and sand. It is one thing to hear, admire, and approve the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not enough. To avert disaster, we must follow and put His words into action.
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.”
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)_/¯ 5-31-1
© Dr. H 2023
Dr H Reflections 