Firm Foundations
Psalm ~ Psalm 118
Gospel ~ Matthew 7:21,24-27
This Advent I'm learning - slowly and imperfectly - how to make room for a Babe in my heart and my life. This daily series at Ardent Devotion documents my journey with God's word throughout Advent, and the little ways in which He is revealing His Truth to me day by day. I invite you to join with me in committing to a Christ-filled Advent, so that we can arrive at the manger-side with wondrous hearts.
The 1st Thursday of Advent
A few months ago, my team and I listened to the story of a man who had been a prisoner of war in Vietnam. He recounted many horrors and atrocities he'd endured, and testified that by prayer and God's grace he'd been able to find hope and joy through it all. One thing he said stuck firmly with me:
Any old fool can stand up and fight when there's a war on. It takes real courage to remain faithful in times of peace.
And oh, how true it is.
In a way, war seems to make the spiritual life easier. There are times in our lives when storms seem to rage. The rain falls, and the floods come, and the wind blows and beats upon us. Yet, when we trust in Christ, and keep our minds and our hearts in Him, we seem to find inexplicable peace.
Earlier this year, when our team was going through the agonizing loss of a brother who had to return home, the storm seemed to be raging. At every turn, the Lord seemed to pelt us with hail and hardship. We were going through the wars, and it took all we had within us to remain steadfast and cling to God's promises and hope. But cling we did. Hope we did. Pray, fight and trust we did. Our foundations were firm upon Christ, our Rock, and in Him we found perfect peace.
Though the storm may rage
I'll find my rest in You
And when the world around me crumbles
It will be You who's standing true
And in the depths of my despair
I'll find the fullness of Your grace
I no longer seek Your hand
I seek Your face
The words above, penned during personal prayer in that horrible, beautiful, grace-filled week, reflect what God was doing with my heart. He used adversity to draw me to Him, and taught me that in the battle I will find the truest peace.
Ironically, though, it is in times of peace that we must fight hardest to keep our foundations firm in Christ. It's oh-so-easy to become stagnant. The more things work out 'according to our plan'; the easier our lives are; the idler we become - and this is where our foundations begin to turn to sand. We lose zeal. We lose purpose. We put our trust in ourselves and in this world, because we have no need to turn to God. And then, when the storm comes, we don't know where to turn.
The greatest battle of all consists in fighting harder and digging deeper even when on the surface level there seems to be peace. Our God loves us far too much to spoil us - He wants us to live life to the full, and a full life includes its share of struggle. The harder we struggle - the more we invest in fighting the good fight - the stronger our foundation will become. We fortify ourselves in Christ by surrendering all to Him and allowing Him to recreate us over and over again.
Recently, God has plagued me with the idea that the only two words standing in the way of your happiness are "I want". When we let go of those two words, and abandon everything we have, everything we are and everything we long to be into His loving hands, we will then find true joy.
We want our lives to work out nicely. To have no battles or difficulties or nastiness. But it is in those things - in the storm and the wind and the rain - that God strengthens us upon His foundations. Praise Him for the Cross. Praise Him for withholding things from us, for allowing things to test us, for breaking us, emptying us and shattering every illusion we have cast of what our lives ought to be. Because by grace we are not forsaken.
We will know the peace of a Saviour - so long as we are willing to fight the good fight.
Cast your foundations firmly in Him, praise Him in the storm and when peace comes - fight a little harder!
~~~
Hail and blessed be the hour and the moment at which the Son of God was born of a most pure Virgin, at a stable, at midnight in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. At that hour vouchsafe, I beseech thee, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through our Saviour Jesus Christ and His most blessed Mother.
AMDG
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