22nd November 2023
The solid foundation
“When the foundations are being destroyed,
what can the righteous do?”
Psalm 11:3 (NIV)
When living in Southern California, I experienced several earthquakes. One quake was strong enough to shake my world for a while. I was sitting near a door, and I could not stand up while the world around me seemed to be liquid. Everything swayed in unison and all I could do was to hold on to the door frame and wait till it stopped. That was such an unsettling and uncomfortable feeling. I cannot even imagine what others must go through in those quakes that are much stronger.
There was nothing I could do during that quake to stop it. All I could do was to wait it out and pray. There are many foundations in our lives; many things we rely on for comfort and our daily living. I rely on the stability of the earth as I walk on it. I rely on the stability of the food chain, on the support of the healthcare system, the firefighters, the police for protection, and the Internet for a few examples. These are all things that help me live my life, physical things. When these things do not work as they should we are unsettled and uncomfortable, cranky and irritable.
Nothing in this physical world is guaranteed. What we have one minute can be taken away in the next. So, as the psalmist asks, what do the righteous do, when things around us become unstable and broken? All I could do in that earthquake was to grab on to what was normally stable – that door frame. When our world shakes and becomes unstable, we as Christians must also grab on to that which is stable – Christ Jesus. As the song goes: ‘On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.’ Jesus is our solid foundation.
As long as I can remember, there have always been troubles in this world. Many things have caused us to fear, some real dangers and some imagined fears that never came true. People are shaking along with their world. They are sharing their fears and causing more shaking to the world of others. So, what do we as Christians do? We do not hold on to them but first to Christ. We try to be a solid foundation for those around us to hold on to. We take the hand of Jesus and take the hand of those around us and help them stand. Unless I am on solid ground, I cannot stabilize those around me.
Psalm 11 goes on in verse 4: ‘The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne. He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine them.’ All that goes on in this world is being noticed by God. It does not feel that way when things are not as they should be. We have all come to expect everything to work smoothly and instantly. We are easily knocked off of our feet. If we allow it, we shake along with this world around us. This is where faith comes in; we must trust that God knows what is happening and that he is in control of the outcome. ‘For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face.’ (v.7).
Prayer
Merciful God, we come to you for our every need, our protection, and our strength. In you we stand and have our being. In you we are loved and given hope and a purpose. You will not fail us for you are all things good! In Jesus we pray and praise you! Amen
Study by Anne Gillam
About the writer:
Anne Gillam is a retired Pastor in Grace Communion International, Klamath Falls, Oregon, USA.
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