After He created the birds and the fishes, God made the land animals. These creatures are at home only on the firm foundation of the earth. These creatures may climb the rocky crevices of mountain slopes, live on the wind swept plains of grasslands, or the dry arid sandy deserts. But they all have in common the fact that they live primarily or even exclusively on the earth's solid foundation.
How good it is to stand upon a firm foundation! We often take for granted the stability of the earth under our feet until we are made to appreciate it. Some people literally kiss the ground after getting out of an airplane. Or, similarly, many people have set out for a fun filled adventure upon the high seas and fallen victim to that nasty malady called seasickness.
Basically, the human body does not like to be unstable. Whether it be the bouncing of an airplane in flight or the pitching and rolling of a ship, folks find these erratic motions to be more than they care to endure. Many a traveler has longed for the stability of firm, dry, ground.
As the body reacts negatively to instability, so does the soul. The
soul seeking salvation will find similarities between unstable faith and
lack of physical stability. Someone seeking God begins his journey and
finds very little stability. He finds that much of what he has ever believed
about God is wrong. There are countless voices saying, 'this is the
way to God, come with me'. He does not know who is right, he just knows
that he is not. This is state of being 'tossed about by every wind of
doctrine' (Ephesians 4:14). Others feel what the psalmist describes
in Psalm 107:23-31:
They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great
waters; These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep. For
he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves
thereof. They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths:
their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger
like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end. Then they cry unto the
LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He
maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are
they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired
haven. Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his
wonderful works to the children of men!
The result of wavering faith is great distress and perplexity. Much of what one has believed before is proven to be unfit to rest upon. Do you want to do 'business in great waters'? Before you know it, you will find yourself wishing for the 'safe haven'. Notice that God is the one that gives rise to the storm. He knows how to bring the cry of help out of your lips. He also knows how to rescue the perishing soul from those waters and set him on dry, firm ground.
The Holy Spirit must deliver the seeking soul to the firm foundation of stable faith. The deliverance is the revelation of truth such that the seeker knows beyond doubt that he has found stable ground. The way to trod still may be hard, but it is no longer unstable. With stability of faith is hope. God gives us the faith to get saved (Philippians 1:29). This is the firm foundation that we so desperately crave.
Walking by faith on a firm foundation is imperative. The road that the lost take seeking God is by a 'strait gate and a narrow way' (Matthew 7:14). The hope of the lost is based on the truth, the faithfulness, and the goodness of God who promised in Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." The reward of God Himself is promised to the diligent seeker who by faith comes to God.
-Brad Hill