Solid Ground

 

Genesis 1:9-13

 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

 And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.  And there was evening, and there was morning, the third day.

               Have you ever felt like you were treading water, like you are in an ocean of despair, of hopelessness, of financial trouble, or relationship issues? Just like God raised dry land out of the water during creation, he will raise a dry, strong foundation for you to land on as well. Psalm 40:2 says, “He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.”

               In Matthew 7:24-27, we read a tale of two houses. The first house is built on a solid foundation, the wind blows, and the rain pours, but this house stands strong. The second house is built on sand, a weak foundation, the wind blows, and the rain pours, and this house is washed away. From this story, we can see that our lives need to be built on a solid foundation, something consistent; if it is not, we will fall.

               How do we build this foundation? Where can we find this rock on which to build our lives? Simply, look to Jesus; “…the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2) Jesus is the founder of our faith, the rock on which we stand (Matthew 7:24-27). We build on this foundation through our faith; we build our faith by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). As we connect more to the Word of God and His promises, our faith foundation will be made stronger, and our house (our lives) will be able to weather the storms that come our way.

               There is something that makes our foundation even stronger, even more reliable, and even more trustworthy; “For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3:11) Jesus IS our foundation! Through him all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). If we lock into Jesus, we will stand, we will not be moved, and we will come out victorious every time.

 

In what way can you strengthen your faith today?