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Bible Reading Reflection: The Foundation of Faith
Psalm 11:3 says, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” This reminds me, isn’t it the same with faith? If the foundation of faith isn’t solid, how can we speak of running the race to heaven?
The lyrics of the song “The Wise Man Built His House” teaches children the concept of wisdom and faith. “The wise man built his house upon the rock, the rains came down, and the house stood firm; the foolish man built his house upon the sand, the rains came down, and the house fell.”
One Saturday night, my sister shared with the family that she was helping with religious education for children playing with blocks. One child said to put the bigger blocks at the bottom because they are the foundation, ensuring the blocks stacked above wouldn’t fall. From a young age, children understand that the larger blocks need to be at the bottom to prevent the structure from falling. Similarly, our faith must be built on “having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,” (Ephesians 2:20), so that it stands firm when storms come.
How Foundations Are Built
Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount: “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” (Matthew 7:24-27).
Listen
Firstly, to establish a foundation of faith, one must listen to God’s word: ” Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.” (Exodus 19:5). As spiritual Israelites, we must also listen to God’s word, drawing strength and joy from it. By daily reading the Bible and praying, we understand God’s message through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, becoming more complete and more aligned with God’s image.
Act/Do
Secondly, we must act on God’s word: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1:22-25). By living out God’s word and principles, we can lead a vibrant spiritual life, being the salt and light of the world.
Be Humble
Lastly, maintaining a humble heart throughout: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3). Clearing space in our hearts makes room for God, acknowledging His greatness and our own insufficiency. From this humility comes understanding, as “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6). Realizing our smallness leads us to spend more time pursuing God’s kingdom and righteousness, living in the world but grasping the true meaning and pursuit of life. Moses learned all the wisdom of Egypt, but that was not enough in God’s eyes. God refined Moses for forty years, making him exceedingly humble, more than anyone on earth (Numbers 12:3), eventually tasking him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.
“Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6).
Examples of People with Great Faith
As a youth, Daniel and his three friends were taken captive to Babylon due to their nation’s defeat. Despite persecution and challenges, Daniel and his friends held absolute faith in God and maintained their holiness (Daniel 1:8). Joseph was sold into Egypt at a young age, yet he held fast to his faith amidst a land of idols, resisting temptation from his master’s wife by saying, ” How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? ” (Genesis 39:9). The scribe Ezra set his heart to study and do the Law of the Lord and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel, building up the spiritual temple for the returned exiles, leading the people back to Jehovah, and reviving faith (Ezra 7:10).
Many in the Bible had a solid foundation of faith, making God the center of their lives and keeping His commandments, regardless of their environment. When we have a strong foundation of faith, we can stand firm against impacts, challenges, and difficulties.
Come to our True Jesus Church Chicago, to build a strong foundation upon Jesus. With God’s help, we can transform to be a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17) “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. ”
Come and learn more about Him through bible study, sermons and fellowship. We warmly welcome you to our upcoming Fall Evangelical Service and Spiritual Convocation. You can also join us for the Fall ESSC via online streaming. Here’s the ESSC schedule:
Thursday, September 26,2024 6:50PM to 8:10PM
Friday and Saturday, September 27-28, 2024 9:00AM to 8:10PM
Sunday, September 29, 2024 9:00AM to 1:00PM
Complimentary lunch and dinner will be served.
Please find our church location below:
4N550 Church Road
Bensenville, IL 60106
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In the meantime, please feel free to join us for our regular Sabbath (Friday evening and Saturday) services online or in-person.
Friday Evening Service: 7:50PM – 9:00PM
Saturday Morning Service: 10:50AM – 12:00Noon
Saturday Afternoon Service: 1:30PM – 2:40PM
Email us at ilovejesus@tjc-chicago.org