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. (Matthew 7:26)

Sand is notoriously unstable stuff. Just last week, a girl was digging a hole at the beach and nearly lost her life. (See Article) Shifting sand even has a name: liquefaction. The shaking of an earthquake can cause soil to behave like a liquid, similar to how wet sand turns to muck when you wiggle your feet in it. This can swallow roads, cars, and even large buildings. Luckily, we can do as the wise man does and build on a solid foundation. Christ is our solid rock.

Things on this big blue marble called Earth have always been rather uncertain. For the ancient everyday person, there were few things one could trust to measure time or space. It’s not too surprising, then, to see some of those mentioned as names for Jesus:

• Rock (Deuteronomy 32:4)
• Morning Star (Revelation 22:16)
• Dayspring (Dawn) (Luke 1:78)
• Light (John 8:12)
• Chief Cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20)

Jesus is "the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8) He is our “true north," our plumbline, our “firm foundation” – a constant and unchanging source of truth to build our life on.

We, however, get shaken. Our hearts melt like sand in liquefaction. The news seems more surreal every week. In these crazy days where the culture tries to convince us that Truth is relative, that there are different versions of Truth for different people and furthermore that they are all valid, it’s more important than ever to stand on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ and His Word. We are seeing the realization of Isaiah’s prophecy:

Woe to those who call evil good
    and good evil,
who put darkness for light
    and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
    and sweet for bitter.

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
    and clever in their own sight.

(Isaiah 5:20-21)

But fear not. Just as the horizon looks crooked and crazy from a boat tossed in a storm, things seem very wrong now. But that’s why we need the perspective of our True North, our Firm Foundation. As Pastor Bill often says, “God is not in Heaven ringing His hands with worry.” God has a plan. The earth has a destiny. There is a Truth on which we can depend and unchanging promises on which we can stand.

It’s fun to play in the sand. My family has always loved to build castles and moats and ponds. And the rapid rate at which the ocean swallows them up is a good lesson about the impermanence of this world. We build in shifting sand, but God builds on a firm foundation of solid rock Truth. Hallelujah to the King of Kings that we can shout, “Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken!” (Psalm 62:2)

Stand firm with compass pointed True North,

Jen