The Firm Foundation
Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
In the photo above, the cabin is supported by steel pipes that are anchored in solid rock. Although it seems to be in a precarious position, it has been built on a firm foundation of solid rock. If the exact same pipes were in sand, the house would come tumbling down the hillside with the first heavy rain.
Christians also have a firm foundation in Jesus Christ. By grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, Christians are assured of eternal life in a spiritual house built on a foundation of Jesus, the solid rock described in Matthew 7:24. They are further protected in their temporal life from any harm that God has not ordained. The great hymn below points out what a great savior we have in this life for those who seek refuge in him. He will never forsake his flock in sickness or health. He will be there in poverty or wealth, and when old age slips upon the scene, He will be there to comfort and give the peace that passes all understanding. The love and promises of God are built on this firm foundation that cannot be overturned by anything on earth or in the spiritual realm. Praise God that this firm foundation will not and, in fact, cannot fail.
How Firm a Foundation
Words by: John Rippon
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,
You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?
In every condition, in sickness, in health;
In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth;
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,
As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.
Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and 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 woe shall not thee overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
When through fiery trials thy pathways 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.
Even down to old age all My people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.
The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.
6 comments:
Jazzy,
You are so right. The appearance of security isn't really the issue... it's the strength of the foundation - which may not even be readily apparent to anyone around.
From those of us who have walked through deep waters in life, this hymn continues to provide a witness to the reality that God has accomplished in (and yes, even in spite of) us.
Thanks for the timely reminder!
Blessings,
Doulos
GREAT picture to make this point! I liked th way you draw attention not just to the need for a sure foundation but the role appearances play. Many would immediately think of the opposite picture (of how houses may look secure when they are not). You however showed the opposite picture (a house that may not look secure but is)... an encouragement to those who stand on Christ, regardless of how things appear around them!
Wes & Tim,
Thanks. The foundation is important in faith and practice.
Keep on, brother!
What a blessing!
"In every condition, in sickness, in health;
In poverty's vale, or abounding in wealth...
"When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow...
"...The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and they gold to refine."
Jazzman,
In every condition, in deep waters, in fiery trials, we struggle to see the firm foundation with our eyes but it is no less there in those times than in the easy times.
Maybe we need to ask ourselves this question, "Do I really want my dross consumed and gold refined?"
Thanks!
That was an encouraging post. Truth can do that, but only through grace.
Keep 'em coming Wayne. The Body of Christ needs to be built-up.
Good comments as well.
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