How Firm a Foundation (Evangelical Lutheran Worship 796)
1 How firm a foundation, O saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in Christ Jesus, the Word!
What more can he say than to you he has said
who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?
2 “Fear not, I am with you, oh, be not dismayed,
for I am your God and will still give you aid;
I’ll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand,
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.”
3 “When through fi’ry trials your pathway shall lie,
my grace, all-sufficient, shall be your supply.
The flames shall not hurt you; I only design
your dross to consume and your gold to refine.”
4 “Throughout all their lifetime my people shall prove
my sov’reign, eternal, unchangeable love;
and then, when gray hairs shall their temples adorn,
like lambs they shall still in my bosom be borne.”
Devotion
My spouse and my son are amazing woodworkers. They constructed an incredible couch last summer that looked strong and beautiful. “We don’t have as many supporting beams on the bottom as we would like to have” they explained to me, “but it looks nice. And plus, wood is expensive. We used some other things that should hold it just fine.” Famous last words. A few days later, one of my friends came over, sat on the couch, and it completely collapsed as he lay there on the ground wondering what had just happened. For many of us, we construct our lives in such a way that replaces strong foundational boards with replacement ones that look good but do not sustain us. Boards like “looking cute”, “seeking a promotion at work”, or “making money” collapse quickly when hell “endeavors to shake” our foundations. It is in those moments that God’s excellent word of love and all-sufficient grace uphold us and remind us to “be not dismayed.”
Prayer
Mountains crumble
Tyrants fall
Grass withers
Through it all
Your love is unbroken.
Friends leave
Treasure rusts
In this we trust,
Your love is unbroken. Amen.