Firm Foundations

Many years ago, I was talking to a group of children about Jesus’ parable of the two house builders, one of whom built his house on rock, whilst the other built his house on sand.  I asked the children, "what is the first thing one needs before one starts to build?", hoping that someone would say that strong foundations were the first requirement.  I was rather surprised, therefore, when one little boy called out, “planning permission!”  Of course, he had a point.

Sue and I have begun to think about where we might be living when I retire next summer.  We have even looked at a few houses, trying to balance what we would like with what we can afford!  Having lived in a church manse for nearly 30 years, it is a long time since we owned our own home.  One of the houses which attracted our attention was up for auction.  We were a little wary of this form of sale, but the guide price seemed very reasonable, so we arranged to go and view the property.

We were able to obtain some details from the estate agents’ website, including a description and some images.  What we found rather strange was that although there were several pictures of the outside of the property and the garden, there were no images of the inside of the house.  When we were shown into the property by the agents’ representative, we soon discovered why.  Almost all the internal walls had significant cracks in them, one of which had created a gap large enough to see through the wall from the kitchen into the lounge!  Clearly the foundations of the building were in urgent need of reinforcement, and needless to say we didn’t pursue our interest in that particular property.

When the world and society around us seem to be in such chaos, it is vital that we find a secure foundation to our lives.  We live at a time where many people are filled with anxiety about the future, and everything seems so uncertain.  When troubled times come across our path, when we fact trials of differing kinds, we could easily sink under the pressure, if we don’t have that sure foundation, that rock on which we can stand firm.

In the book of the prophet Isaiah, chapter 28 verse 16, God says, ‘Watch closely. I’m laying a foundation in Zion, a solid granite foundation, squared and true.’  The apostles Paul (Romans 9:33) and Peter (1 Peter 2:4–6) see these verses as referring to Jesus.  Jesus is, ultimately, the only sure foundation for life.  As the old hymn states,

‘On Christ the solid Rock I stand

All other ground is sinking sand.'

At a recent prayer event which I attended, a number of small cards with Bible verses were placed on a table and we were encouraged to select one.  The card I selected contained the promise of Jesus which he gave to his disciples shortly before he left them: ‘surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’ (Matthew 28.20).  It is a promise which we find many times in the scriptures.  Isn’t it wonderful to know that whatever we face, God will be with us?  We are encouraged, ‘the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you’ (Deuteronomy 31.6). If you are going through a dark period at the moment, please find security in the knowledge that God is with you (even when you can’t sense his presence) and that ‘nothing can separate us from the love of God which is ours in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 8.28).