Perfect Foundation
I absolutely love the verses and the message in this classic hymn. No matter what happens in life, it is so reassuring to know that it is indeed "On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand."
The overriding picture and word that comes to my mind is "foundation." The definition of foundation is "a basis upon which something stands or is supported." Without a solid foundation, everything else will fall apart. I think of what Jesus said about listening to and applying his teachings:
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.” ~Matthew 7:24-27 NASB
I have found myself more recently appreciating the foundations that I have in my life. One foundation is in art, which is the accumulation of 23 years' worth of creating. As soon as I could hold a marker in my hand, my parents have told me that I never looked back. Because I have a foundation in art, I went from drawing random scribbles on a page, sometimes a wall or my face, to drawing people, landscapes, and still lives. I went from barely being able to trace my ABC's to drawing out cursive script. I even went from eating Play-Doh to throwing porcelain bowls, vases, and mugs on the wheel.
The most important foundation in my life is my faith. The first time I remember asking Jesus into my heart was at age five, but my whole life has been surrounded by faith. I went from asking Jesus back into my heart every single night to being a youth leader and leading Bible studies. I've learned the beauty of prayer and fellowship. My walk with the Lord has been a constant journey.
One incredible aspect of having a foundation in faith is having a new perspective. There are some days life seems to hit me in the face with a two by four. It happens. And sometimes it happens more often than I would like. However, when "life" happens to me, rather than going to my family, friends, or some other means of comfort first, my default is to take it to God whether I want to or not. In my experiences, I have found no other fulfillment than in Christ, and the peace that He brings goes beyond all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7). He alone is my rock and firm foundation, and I know that as long as Jesus is my foundation, I will not be shaken (Psalm 16:8, 55:22, and 62:1-2 to name a few verses...).
He brings me strength when I am weak; where there seems to be no hope, He brings me peace and joy; when I feel like my breath is being knocked out of me, He picks me back up and carries me. It is never by my own strength and ability to "grin and bear it." I pray that God's glory may be revealed in my circumstances, good or bad. The reason I can still remain positive in a negative situation is because my God is greater than my circumstances. I am reminded of a passage in 2 Corinthians, as Paul describes a life of ministry:
"But we have this precious treasure [the good news about salvation] in [unworthy] earthen vessels [of human frailty], so that the grandeur and surpassing greatness of the power will be [shown to be] from God [His sufficiency] and not from ourselves. We are pressured in every way [hedged in], but not crushed; perplexed [unsure of finding a way out], but not driven to despair;hunted down and persecuted, but not deserted [to stand alone]; struck down, but never destroyed; always carrying around in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be shown in our body." ~2 Corinthians 4:7-10 AMP
Acquiring a foundation is not easy, but it is worth it! And the beauty of that is you can start anytime exactly where you're at. It's a constant process of learning and growing, and intentionally pursuing the Master. And my favorite part is knowing that He is pursuing me with a love so amazing that I could never even begin to imagine it, even when I'm not pursuing him-because I am human, but He is God, and in my weakness He is strong, and He is glorified. <3
