WHY YOU NEED A FIRM FOUNDATION

A friend received a life-altering health diagnosis. It would likely shorten her life and change it forever. She reached out to me, and I started praying for her and her husband. But as I prayed, I kept thinking about ... a song. I wasn’t sure what style of music they enjoyed, and I wasn’t sure if the song would resonate with them like it did with me. But I just couldn’t shake the idea that I should share this song.

Finally, I reached out to them and said, “There’s a song I’ve been listening to on repeat. It’s meant a lot to me. I’m going to send it so you can listen to it. If it speaks to you, I’d encourage you to put it on repeat because I’ve found sometimes I don’t completely believe something in the beginning and need to keep hearing it until I do.”

Christ is My Firm Foundation

Cody Carnes released the song Firm Foundation in 2021. It’s a song about those times in life when everything around you is shaky and chaotic. Have you been there? Yeah, me too.

What do you do when the storms hit? The lyrics encourage us to remember that

Christ is my firm foundation
The rock on which I stand
When everything around me is shaken
I’ve never been more glad
That I put my faith in Jesus
‘Cause He’s never let me down
He’s faithful through generations
So why would He fail now?
He won’t

Two Builders

I believe those lyrics, not so much because they are inspirational, but because they are inspired by words Jesus spoke in the Bible.

The longest extended teaching of Jesus is found in the beginning of Matthew. We call it the Sermon on the Mount. It stretches three chapters and covers some of Jesus’ most important teachings on how to be a Christian.

At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus ends with a story of two builders and a storm.

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. (Matthew 7:24-29)

This story has some clear takeaways:

#1 Everyone builds a house.

In Jesus’ story, “house” is synonymous with life. Each of us is building a life. There are lots of options when it comes to what foundation you will build your life on – success, pleasure, family, money, the philosophies of this world. Jesus offers himself, and obedience to His teachings, as a better way, a more firm foundation.

#2 Everyone faces a storm.

Storms are a part of life. You have faced some, and you will face more.

• Your position at work gets eliminated.

• A friend betrays you.

• The doctor says, “Cancer.”

• Your child makes bad decisions.

• Your spouse is unfaithful.

Not everyone faces the same storm, but everyone faces a storm.

#3 Not everyone has the same foundation.

It’s easy to ignore the foundation. After all, you can’t see it. If I asked you about your house, you wouldn’t mention the foundation and if you gave me a tour of your home, it would be the one thing I would not see.

Jesus tells us the foolish person pays no attention to their foundation. They just keep building and hope for the best.

It’s easy to ignore the foundation ... until a storm hits. Storms have a way of revealing the quality of the foundation.

Jesus says the wise person makes Him their foundation by putting His words into practice. The person who does that will become unshakeable.

My House Was Built On You

In Firm Foundation, Cody Carnes sings:

Rain came, wind blew
But my house was built on you
I’m safe with You
I’m gonna make it through
Yeah, I’m gonna make it through / cause I’m standing strong on you
Yeah, I’m gonna make it through / cause my house is built on you

This part of the song is most moving to me. I love the idea of, “I’m gonna make it through! Cause my house is built on you!” I love it because I’ve lived it. Having Jesus as my firm foundation has gotten me through seasons of despair – miscarriages, a diagnosis of MS, the loss of my brother – that would have felt unbearable otherwise.

Building your life on Jesus enables you to weather any storm.

It begins with a belief in Jesus, grows into a trust in Jesus, and matures as you obey His teachings. And when it is fully grown, it produces a joy in chaos and a peace that makes no sense.

The Rest of the Story

The couple who received the devastating diagnosis took my recommendation. They started listening to Firm Foundation over and over again. The words sunk in and started to transform their lives.

If that were the end of the story, it would be enough, but it’s not.

They called me and said, “James invites those who have health issues to have the elders of the church come and pray over them, that they would be healed. Would you be willing to gather the elders of the church and pray over me?” I said, “Of course, we would be honored to pray over you. I don't know what the outcome will be, but we’ll pray in faith that God would change the diagnosis.”

We prayed for her, and she went back to the doctor, and ... the very conclusive diagnosis she had been given ... was completely changed. God healed her! To this day, she is still whole. That hasn’t been the result of most of the prayers I’ve prayed for healing, but it was this time, and it was amazing!

Now, every time I hear Firm Foundation, I think of my friend Pam and what God did for her.

And it builds my faith for what God wants to do for me.

TAKE ACTION

If you are going through a storm right now, I encourage you to place your situation in His strong, capable hands. Ask for His intervention. Trust in His plans. Put this song on repeat. And then rest in the knowledge that He is going to see you through.

Watch the message “Firm Foundation” by Brad D. Jenkins at Anthem Church. YouTube

*If this has been helpful, please send me a message and let me know. And please help me by sharing this post with others who could benefit from it. My writing aims to help people enjoy a vibrant relationship with Jesus, and it is an honor to be on this journey with you.

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