Unshakeable Foundation

I rejoice that over the past few months and culminating earlier this week, God has lifted a burden that has been on my heart for several years. Additionally, He has carried me through a season of particular challenge that was associated with the process of lifting that burden. "Come and hear, all who fear God, and I will tell of what He has done for my soul" (Psalm 66:16 NASB).

This particular burden has lingered on my heart for years, at times very strong and at other times somewhat subdued. Several months ago God used some specific Bible teaching to strongly impel me to take action toward resolving the situation. I knew this would not be easy for me and that in some ways it would make me look foolish, but I had to obey God.

I moved forward with the understanding that I had, but became quite discouraged when nothing happened for a few weeks. Then in the space of two days I received multiple responses of reaction from others. Each response expressed rather strong opposition regarding what I was trying to do. What was worse, some of the communications went beyond opposing me in the situation itself. I was confronted with some specific and very serious questions regarding my relationship with God, as well as my sensitivity and submission to Him.  In addition to the overt allegations, the content and tone of the letters suggested several other questions, again about some pretty serious spiritual issues.

From there the doubts escalated. I wondered about the value of trying to obey God, the effectiveness of Christianity, the worth of living for God, and the possibility for successful relationships. I was tempted to quit on church, quit on people, quit on God, quit on life. When I say I was tempted in all those areas, these were not necessarily constant or overpowering temptations, but there were times that those various thoughts entered my mind. These attacks of Satan attempted to strike me while I was weak and gain a foothold. I had to repel and guard against those thoughts, but in the midst of the discouragement, I sometimes wanted to believe those things and give in to the temptations.

This is where the unshakeable foundation comes in. Even with the magnitude and multitude of those assaulting doubts, I had an underlying knowledge. I knew there was nowhere else to go. "Simon Peter answered Him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life'" (John 6:68 NASB). God has the only words and the only way with eternal significance. Apart from Him, there is no help.

I also knew that this situation was not too big for God. God is honored when I seek to obey Him, and if I will depend on Him, He will work in His way to make the answer clear. He is a dependable source of hope because He never fails. "I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the LORD" (Psalm 27:13-14 NASB).  

I had to corral my thoughts and keep returning to the certainty of the foundation. The foundation of trust in God and dependence on Him ultimately kept those temptations from gaining a lasting foothold. That doesn't mean the temptations didn't come or that for spaces of time they were not overwhelming, but they couldn't take complete control.

When I think of the foundation that made the critical difference for me, I am reminded of I Peter 5:10. "After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you."  While all four actions are important, my current thoughts go especially to the fourth word, establish. God establishes a firm foundation for faith, ever deepening and reinforcing the foundation. I can confidently rest on that firm foundation, knowing that I cannot be easily shaken.

While this may not be architecturally accurate, I see the illustration of thick concrete pillars that go deeper and deeper into the earth in support of the building. God has done that for me in the past, especially through my health and employment situations. Because of that work in the past, there was currently a foundation that remained firm in spite of the shaking that was going on above ground.

What is that foundation? I think a lot of it has to do with the character of God. It involves knowing that He is wise, powerful, and loving. Knowing that He is in control. Knowing that He is kind and compassionate. In my weakness I knew that God wanted to help me. I knew that I had a God who is big and strong enough to meet every need. I knew that God is faithful; He is not going anywhere. He is not changing. He is not going to forget about me or abandon me. His arms are not going to let go of me. In spite of my struggles, He does not change.

There certainly are things in life that deliver a powerful punch, and the force of the impact does throw us off balance and makes us stagger. With a foundation grounded firmly in God, however, those blows do not have to conquer us. Instead we can be like a gyroscope that can spin madly when bumped but always returns to its correct position. As we focus on God's truth, our staggering will stabilize and we will return to the place of quiet rest in Him. I thank God for doing that for me (again).

"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." Matthew 7:24-25 (NASB)