The Foundation We Build On

Godliness is more than Christian character. It covers the totality of the Christian life and provides the foundation upon which Christian character is built.  Jerry Bridges

I was listening to the news this morning and there was a story about a neighborhood whose homes are sinking.  Many of the homes had to be abandoned due to safety issues.  They are not sure why they are sinking except they do know that the homes are built on an inactive volcano and water is bubbling up out of the ground.

 

This made me think of the city where I was born.  The city was named for the sulfur mines that were excavated in the area in the 1900s.  A German immigrant by the name of Frasch invented the “Frasch method” of mining sulfur.  Hot steam was pumped into the ground, liquidizing the mineral and then it was pumped to the surface.  

     

This started me thinking about what is under the ground now.  Did they replace the sulfur that was removed?  If not, there are probably large caverns underground that could potentially cave in one day, especially if water starts running through them. 

The kind of foundation we build on as a Christian is the most important one we will ever build.  If we build our foundation on shifting sand; deceitful behavior, lying, cheating, mistreatment of others, our very foundation will crumble. 

When I started thinking about this topic an old hymn that we sang in church when I was young came to mind.  I haven’t thought of this song in years but the melody came right back and I was able to sing the lines of the song from memory.

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness veils His lovely face,

I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood

Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,

Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

Written by: Edward Mote c.1834

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I know that if I build my Christian life on Your foundation I am able to stand strong through any circumstance.  It is when I stray away from You that my foundation becomes weak and is subject to disaster.  If I want my foundation to be strong to withstand life’s trials, it is necessary for me to spend time with you and meditate on Your Word. 

                

Scripture: “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”  Matthew 7:24-27