When we built our present house several years ago I remember the heavy equipment excavating our basement and digging the foundations. Our home is built on a slopped lot. When the machinery was digging into the side of the slope for the basement all was well. But when the footings for the foundation were being dug it hit solid rock. The men dug and dug and could not move the rock in the corner of the basement. Finally it was decided that the rock was a more solid foundation than any concrete that could be poured so the concrete was poured on top of the rock. So I guess one could say that my house is built on a solid rock. At least in that particular corner it is.
Now on the other hand, we have a house in a neighborhood in town whose walls began to crack. When we examined the problem it was a foundation issue. The foundation in one corner of the house was settling. Not a good sign and very expensive to fix. Foundations are critical to the construction of any structure.
When I think of foundations there are a couple of scriptures that come to mind.
Psa 11:3 – If the foundations are destroyed, what will the righteous do? Just as the foundation is critical to the construction it is even more necessary for us to have foundations in life. It is imperative that we have solid moral and religious foundations in our lives to give us stability.
And of course we are reminded of the children’s song “The wise man built his house upon the rock….and the foolish man built his house upon the sand.” This comes from the scripture found in Matthew 7:24-27. Again we note the importance of having solid foundations in life.
I thought it might be interesting to note a few foundations I deem important. You might have others to add to the list but these will suffice for my blogging today.
1. My faith
Proverbs 3: 5 – “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding.”
Heb 11: 6 – “For without faith it is impossible to please Him.”
2 Cor 5:7 – “For we walk by faith not by sight.”
Faith is a foundation. I wonder how some people face the issues of life without a faith in the Creator.
2. Sound doctrine
2 Tim 3: 16,17 – “All scripture is given by inspiration of GOD and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of GOD may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Tim 4:3 – “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;”
I want my faith to be based on sound doctrine as opposed to that which originates with an itching ear. An itching ear produces a doctrine that is what man wants to hear, that is pleasing to him. Of greater importance I want it to be pleasing to HIM. I want a firm foundation doctrinally because my eternal salvation depends on it.
3. Train our children
Prov 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
2 Tim 2:2 – “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
What greater responsibility do we have than to teach the next generation of GOD’S truths? I have had the privilege of sitting and hearing both my sons proclaim the gospel. That blessing is priceless as the commercial says. My hope is to hear my grandchildren do the same in time to come.
Foundations. I hope yours are strong. The storms of life will come. And when they do I pray that yours and mine are foundations built on the Rock.