What is My Foundation?
When all around my soul gives way;
He then is all my hope and stay.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand:
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.
From “My Hope is Built on Nothing Less” by
Edward Mote, 1797-1874
26 And everyone who hears these words of
mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on 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 was the fall of it.” Matthew 7:26-27
English Standard Version
A few years ago, my conservative
friends were distraught, up in arms; some claiming that the moral rot would
soon end civilization as we know it. Now my liberal friends are the handwringers,
some considering relocating to a supposed far-off Eden where there are no
problems. In both cases, they put their faith in a political system and when it
failed to meet their expectations, they found their world rocked. The morning
after the election, they felt that the very earth had shifted beneath their
feet. Disenchanted with the current state of affairs, some lash out at the
government, society, friends, and even family who do not see things the way
they do. They constructed their world around a political system, and its
failure leaves them angry and hurt. This is nothing new. Since ancient times
we’ve looked for some kind of stability to give our lives purpose and meaning. Some
of us base our world on health and financial success. Consider the wife of Job
and her reaction to their calamity.
9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still
hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” Job 2:9
Their troubles and pain had so
unhinged Job’s wife that she encouraged him to “curse God and die.” Not exactly
the poster child for perseverance in times of adversity. It is said that our
response to trouble and hardship reveals our true character. There is truth in
that belief. When we face pain and suffering, we find out much about who we are
and where our center is, our bedrock as it were. We look to the world around us
for a sense of stability and coherence; but, scripture points us in a very
different direction.
8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in man. 9 It is better to take refuge in the
Lord than to trust in princes. Psalm 118:8-9
My hope, my surety, my rock in a
world of turmoil is the Lord. Scripture teaches me to center my life on the
Lord, drawing my confidence from Him, not the world around me. Anyone whose
been alive for a while understands that this world shifts and changes,
sometimes with breathtaking rapidity. I was in the Army, stationed in Germany,
when the Soviet Union collapsed. All of us in the Army at that time fully
expected that one day we would end up fighting the U.S.S.R. on the plains of
Eastern Europe. But within a few short weeks, the sickle and hammer were gone
and the geopolitical world shifted radically. Suddenly the Army did not need
nearly as many soldiers as it had. My future looked tenuous indeed. In that
time of extreme change, the Lord reminded me that it was better to place my
trust in Him than in the Department of the Army or the U.S. Congress.
Reductions in Force come to all of us from time to time; however, God remains
sure and stable.
3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind
is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3
When we learn to keep our minds
focused on God, we find peace, perfect peace. This does not mean that we are
somehow immune to the travails of this life; but, it does mean that even in
times of chaos we can remain at peace. We’ve all seen someone ruled by their
circumstances. Something happens to disturb their equilibrium, and they erupt,
lashing out at those around them. The great hymnist of scripture, David, lived
as a fugitive for many years. A jealous king Saul pursued him, driving him deep
into the Judean wilderness. Despite his travails David kept his equilibrium.
How? Read the excerpt from Psalm 18
1 I love you, O Lord, my strength. 2
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom
I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:1-2
David’s
center was the Lord. He understood that God was his source of strength and
stability despite the unfair persecution of Saul. We need to emulate this
example.
Our world is filled with chaos.
Things fluctuate, bringing a new paradigm, sometimes overnight, and we find our
world a different place. Sometimes the changes seem overwhelming, challenging
our mental stability or existence. If these variations threaten the foundation
of said stability, then our world collapses into so much existential rubble.
But, if our world is built on the solid rock of Jesus, then we can muddle
through. It may be tough, but Jesus, our rock, holds us up during the storms of
life. As Jesus said, “24 Everyone then who hears these
words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the
rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the
winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been
founded on the rock.” Matthew 7:24-25
Thought Questions: 1. What do you consider the foundation, or center of, your life? 2. How would it affect you if you lost your job? 3. What can put you into a bad mood and how long does it last? 4. What is most important to you about a congregation, the preacher, the worship, the political stance of your fellow believers? 5. Be honest with yourself, how important is your faith to your daily experience?
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