LifeLink Devotional

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Isaiah 28:16  So this is what the Sovereign LORD says:  “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed.

Foundations are cracking, leading to crumbling. Principles upon which this country of ours was established are eroding away every day. If it continues, we will be swept away like a house built on sand rather than rock.

Every day it becomes more blatantly obvious that our culture rejects the Rock. And yet, there are glimmers of hope all around us if we take the time to praise what is being done right rather than criticize what we think is wrong. In fact, as we praise rather than criticize, we become one of those points of light that bring hope to others.

One such point of light is the music program at a local school system where I have grandchildren attending. Every choir and band concert we have been to last year and this year has been predominantly composed of Biblical music proclaiming faith in Christ. Right in the public school. I praise God for the directors of the music department for boldly proclaiming foundational truth and building it into the lives of the future generation of citizens that will need such a foundation.

It’s easy to get frustrated and attempt to change the system that rejects such foundational truth, but that would be a mistake. That would take us all further away from change, not closer to it. Change will come to our culture only as the love of Jesus and the truth of salvation are presented constantly and unashamedly before the lost people of the world. When the followers of Jesus switch from telling the Good News to trying to change the policies of society, then society becomes more firmly entrenched in their error.

So today, while cultural foundations are crumbling, I will choose to focus on THE Foundation of all life – the Cornerstone named Jesus Christ. He has been tested. He successfully passed every test. He can be trusted to get us through any and every test of our lives. He will never fail us. He will never forsake us. He will never leave us. When we trust Him alone, we will never be dismayed.

All around us every day are individual people who are searching for something upon which to build their lives. But what are we saying to them about the foundation of our life when what they see in us is dismay over the condition of the world? The things that cause discouragement and anger in our lives may be different than theirs, but the reality of such attitudes makes them suspicious that our Foundation is no more trustworthy than theirs. Think about it.

Now, with more conviction than ever, I will choose to focus on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that Christmas is about Jesus coming to earth as the complete and eternal revelation of God in human form. I know that He came to save us from our sin. I know that He died on the cross to pay the penalty of death that I deserved. I know that He rose from the dead to offer and guarantee eternal life to anyone comes to Him humbly and asks. But the world does not know this stuff, and if they do, they seem to be choosing to reject it. It does not accomplish God’s purpose for us to get angry and complain about what the world doesn’t believe. We are to simply and joyfully proclaim Jesus as Savior. We are not responsible for their response to us. We are responsible for our response to them.

Pastor John