How Firm A Foundation

"If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3)

A building without a foundation is destined to fall. The same is true for society. There must be strong foundations for a strong society.  Jesus told about two men who built their houses on two different kinds of foundations. One built on solid rock. The other built on sand. The house on the rock stood firm but the one on the sand fell.

God gave us the Bible, His holy Word, as the first foundation and Satan has been attacking it for centuries. Hear him as he questions Eve, “Yea, hath God said…?” (Genesis 3:1) But the foundation still stands firm. God gave us the home and Satan has tried to change the home into something that does not resemble a Biblical home. But the home continues to be strong. God has given us law, order and justice as a foundation and Satan and his crowd continue to attempt to destroy it.  Another foundation God has given us the church. It still stands strong, although Satan has attempted to change its doctrines, weaken its stand against sin and infiltrate it with false teachers.

John Philips says, “Satan is attempting to destroy the foundations to make room for the coming man of sin, the Anti-Christ.”

What can the righteous do? Keep on being faithful to The Lord Jesus Christ.

Restoring the Joy of Salvation

“Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” (Psalm 51:12)

Taking joy out of salvation is like trying to take heat out of fire. Joyless salvation is as unreasonable as a bird that has wings but cannot fly. The person who has experienced the heartfelt joy of  being saved and who through personal sin loses that joy, is miserable because sin has stolen his joy. Joyless salvation is a contradiction in terms.

That’s where King David was. Un-confessed sin and the joy of God’s salvation cannot exist together in the same person at the same time. David acknowledged and confessed his sin of adultery with Bathsheba and his attempted cover up. He then asked God to restore the joy.

One is miserable trying to carry around un-confessed sins and attempting to be joyful at the same time. Take your sins to the Cross of Christ, confess them and leave them there.

God Owns It All

“For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.” (Psalm 50:10)

In the old west, livestock were branded to show ownership, a practice still used today in some areas. My dad purchased two mares from Texas that had brands that had been burned there when these mares were colts.

When I go into the woods and see squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, possums and other animals, the Bible, not some brand, tells me that God is the owner. In addition, the cattle on a thousand hills are His.

Look at the words of the old song,

                                                “A Child of the King”

                        “My Father is rich in houses and lands,

                                    He holdeth the wealth of the world in His hands!

                        Of rubies and diamonds, of silver and gold,

                                    His coffers are full, He has riches untold.

                                                            Chorus

                        I’m a child of the King, A child of the King:

                                    With Jesus my Savior, I’m a child of the King.”

Place your faith in Jesus. Become a child of the King.

Contentment

“…And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” ( I Timothy 6:8)

In his day Howard Hughes was reportedly the richest man alive. No one knew exactly how rich he was. When someone asked, “How much did he leave behind?” Another answered, “He left it all behind.” It was told that he could not eat a decent meal of meat and vegetables because of health issues. For all the good his wealth did him he may as well have had a sack full of shredded newspapers.

You and I should be content with what God has given us. John D. Rockefeller, of Standard Oil fame, was another rich man. He was asked, “How much money do you need to be content and satisfied?” He replied, “Just a little more.”

A lady walked into her walk-in closet which was hanging full of clothes and declared, “I just don’t have a thing to wear.”

The Bible says, “...and be content with such things as you have: for He has said, ‘I will never leave you, nor forsake you.’” (Hebrews 13:5)

God’s Unfailing Promises

“Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto His people Israel, according to all that He promised: There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised by the hand of Moses His servant.” (I Kings 8:56)

Since you and I are human we may not be able to keep all the promises we make, however well intentioned we may have been when we made the promise. Someone promises to pay back a bank note at a given time. However his failing health, loss of a job or a number of other unforeseen things may hinder his keeping that promise.

It was following Solomon’s prayer of dedication of the temple that he reminded the people of Israel of the many promises God had made to them and that He had never broken one of them.

God has never broken a promise. John 3:16 is the apex of all the promises of God. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” He has never broken a promise. You can trust Him to keep this one.

Step Out On Faith

“Why are you fearful, Oh ye of little faith?” (Matthew 8:26)

Often God’s work goes undone because we fear that which we cannot see ahead. We fear that we might fail if we attempt to lead someone to faith in Christ. We fear sharing our testimony with someone. We fear that we might look foolish and embarrass ourselves.

Many men have been called of God to preach the Gospel when they were young. They feared that they might not be able to provide for their families on a pastor’s small pay.  An elderly gentleman I knew wept when he told a group of young people how he feared as a young man to step out on faith and answer the call of God on his life to preach the Gospel.

People fear to teach a Sunday school class because they fear criticism and also fear that they might make a mistake in the Biblical presentation.

The Bible says, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him.” (Hebrews 11:6) So, surrender your life to Him, do what He tells you to do, trusting Him to see you through all the storms, the wind and the waves.

Fools

The fool hath said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” (Psalm 53:1)

Years ago there was a song that asked the question, “What Kind of Fool Am I?”  The man in our text is a “Godless” fool. There are other kinds of fools.

In one of His parables Jesus spoke of a man whose crops yielded better than ever. So he said to himself, I have no room to store all my goods. I’ll tear down my old barns and build greater ones. But God said, “thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:20-21) He is the rich fool.

Then there is the man in our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount who heard the teachings of Jesus but would not give heed to them. Jesus said that man is “likened to a foolish man who built his house on the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, an beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:26-27) He is the “unheeding” fool.

The person who is deceived by alcoholic beverages is said to be unwise, or foolish.

Then there is the “fool” for Christ’s sake. He looks foolish to this mad world because he has forsaken everything for Christ. (I Corinthians 4:10-13) Life is much better for the “fools for Christ’s sake.”