Yesterday as I was putting a bowl in my cabinet, I nearly toppled over a stack of other plastic food containers. They are rectangular in shape and made in such a way that I can stack the containers and lids together. But when I set the bowl beside them, I bumped the container at the bottom of the stack. It went sideways and when it did all the ones on top of it began to sway back and forth until I righted the one on the bottom.
I thought about how easily that bottom container moved sideways when I bumped it. I realized my containers didn't really have a firm foundation. How could they when they were only depending on each other to hold them up?
We need Jesus to hold us up. We can't stack our hopes on one another. The One we depend on is our Lord Jesus Christ. The song "How Firm a Foundation" almost immediately popped into my mind. The song is an old one - a very old one. It was first published in 1787, yet it is still used in many churches today.
The author of the lyrics is not definitively known; but the words of the song have undoubtedly encouraged many souls through the years. The truths are timeless and based on the truth of God's word.
There are five verses to the song; but for the sake of time, we will only look at three. Some of us may know the words; but I will post the verses under consideration. The first verse explains the origin of our foundation:
How firm a foundation, you saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He has said,
To you, who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
This verse assures us as Christians that our faith in Him is because of our faith in His Word. Every Christian should have a deep respect for and love of the scriptures. The Bible is how we know about our great God.
The first verse also reminds us that the Bible is complete. We have all that we need to build on our faith. Through the Word of God we have what we need to know how to live for Christ. We don't need anything else and we shouldn't expect any new revelation. He has already said it all. God has given us all we need through the scriptures.
The words of verse 2 are absolutely beautiful to me:
Fear not, I am with you, O be not dismayed,
For I am your God and will still give you aid;
I’ll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
How wonderful is it to know that God is with us!??! I didn't realize until I "googled" this song that this second verse is taken almost word for word from Isaiah 41:10. We don't have to worry or be afraid because God is in control. He is our God and we are His. The Heavenly Father takes care of His own.
We find words very similar to this in the first chapter of Joshua. God tells the new leader of Israel that he has nothing to fear. God promises to be with him.
The truth is He promises to be with all of us who follow Him. He will strengthen us. He is our Great Helper. We will stand because of Him. God is all powerful and He will hold us up. The next time you feel like you are about to fall, imagine the Father holding you up. It is quite a comforting thought, right?
The fifth verse concludes the song and reinforces the beauty of turning our life over to Christ. We are reminded of how firm our foundation --the foundation of our faith in Jesus Christ --- truly is. It is soul-saving -- literally.
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.
God loves those who love and obey Him. Scripture is full of reassurances that He will take care of us. If we lean on His Son, He will not desert us. God and Christ will not allow our enemies to defeat us. Even in the face of death, God will bring us home. If we don't surrender, HE won't surrender us. If we don't forsake Him, He will never forsake us.
The world will let us down, trust in riches will let us down. Fame and success could come and go. Our friends or family may let us down sometimes. People are not perfect. We don't always live up to the expectation of others. That's where forgiveness comes in.
There are times when folks take a totally different path and betray or desert us. Those hurts go deep. Jesus will not do that. He will not betray us.
We can always count on Him. This beautiful song reminds us of that. We shouldn't build our lives on anything except our Redeemer. If we build on a weaker foundation --- well, then we topple over like so many plastic containers.
A faith built on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ our Savior is invaluable. For Christians, He really is the rock that keeps us going. Our faith in Him gives us the peace that passes understanding. Jesus gives us our hope of eternal life. For the Christian, it is our faith - our knowledge of Him that makes life livable.
Christ above all things,
Robin
Footnote: http://www.covlife.org/static/hymns/how_firm_a_foundation
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