Good morning, friends. It’s that time of year again where many of us are preparing for that dreaded date on our calendars-April 15th.
I’m sure we have all heard the expression, “There is nothing sure in this life but death and taxes!” That is a funny way of looking at things and there is an element of truth to it. However, I am ever so thankful that it is NOT entirely true. God’s Word tells us that He is a sure foundation for our times, as we looked at in last week’s devotional (Isaiah 33:6).\
I shared with you last week a portion of the trip we took last summer to Interlaken, Switzerland. I would like to take a minute this morning and share yet another lesson the Lord laid on my heart on that trip. Interlaken is situated on a narrow strip of land between two lakes, Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, both of which are fed by the River Aare. The river flows rapidly between the two lakes and runs behind the hotel we stayed in. I found myself drawn to it almost every morning. One particular morning, I observed a scene that inspired this devotional. There was a duck gliding through the water, being swept along by the rapid flow. As I watched, this beautiful creature turned and was struggling against the “tide”, trying to get to the “shore”. Right before my eyes, this work of God’s hand found a rock to climb up on, a “sure foundation” for it to stand on, to rest on, to cling to while the river raced on by.
That is, to me, such a beautiful picture of our great and awesome God! He is the Rock we can stand on when the storms of this life are raging around us, when the currents threaten to sweep us away and perhaps even swallow us up. His Word is a sure foundation. Jesus Christ is our sure foundation, our Rock and our Redeemer. I read these words in a recent article in Our Daily Bread, written by David McCasland:
“God has given us a choice about the foundation on which we will build our lives. We can follow our own desires, or we can embrace His eternal principles revealed in the Bible and in the person of Jesus Christ. ‘On Christ, the solid Rock I stand-all other ground is sinking sand’ (Edward Mote).”
So, as the infamous tax date approaches, hold on to the fact that there are indeed other sure things in this life besides death and taxes. God is our sure foundation. He is the stability for our times. His Word is our sure foundation for everything we face in this life. He gives us a sure place to stand. If you are hurting today, if you are feeling like you are being swept away by the tides of change, grief, despair, or even just the busyness of life, climb out of the “river” and find your sure place to stand. Make the choice to stand on your Rock, your God, the One who promises to never leave you or forsake you. Build your day and your life on THAT sure foundation!