How firm a Foundation

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said—
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

Fear not, I am with thee, oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
For I will be with thee thy trouble to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not harm thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.

The soul that on Jesus doth lean for repose,
I will not, I will not, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.”

attr. to John Keith, pub.1787

                This has always been one of my favorite hymns ever since I sang it in college.  I like the metaphor of a foundation of faith because foundations are so important to the Christian family.  Since I am always doing some small project’s at home I find foundations are really important.  Now I am tiling shower walls and providing a good foundation is very important, because mortar is soft and gravity is constant.   As I lay my first course of tiles, I understand they will be the foundation for the remainder of my tiles.  They must be straight, level and evenly spaced. 

As I work on my tiles, I have been aware that materials only get you so far.  My tiles should make it easy; they are solid and square, two things that help create a firm foundation.  But, having good materials is only a start, it is setting the foundation that is so important and it is hard, time consuming, frustrating, and needs lots of shoring up until the mortar is set.  It is because gravity is always working against our ability to create a square and level foundation.  It is always exerting constant pressure opposite to my goals.

               As a Christian parent I need to realize that it is not just about getting the right raw materials in my kid’s lives.  In many ways this is one way we are blessed in the Church, we have Sunday school and Awana, so our kids are loaded up with good raw materials.  But, as I am learning with my tiling job this is just a start.  Read Matthew 7:24-29, it is the parable about the foolish man building his house on the sand.  The issue is not the materials, both the foolish and wise man have heard the teachings of Jesus.  It is about practice, it is about shoring up our beliefs in the mortar of life. 

                Our kids need opportunity to wrestle with and decide how their beliefs fit into the life we are helping them build.  Because good building materials do not guarantee a good home, it is the skill of the craftsman using the materials that creates a solid home.  It is the same in our lives.  How are you managing your building materials?  Are you demonstrating your skill as a craftsman to your children and grandchildren?  

                The culture we live in is working on our foundations like gravity or a river as the hymn suggests, every day we deal with ideas that are opposite to our belief system.  At times it seems like we are knee deep in the torrent.   How can you shore up your kid’s beliefs?  Talk to them about things you see, and help them wrestle with the Biblical truths that reinforce right thinking or repel bad thinking.   When they are wrestling with who they are remind them of who God says they are.  Pray with them regularly.  Do not avoid topics that scare you or shake your beliefs, these are the most important!

I am praying, God gives you strength and patience for the hard work of setting a firm foundation in your kid’s lives!


For more info on the Nevala Family and our transition from Pastor's Family to Missionary family, Check out: www.walkinginobedience.com