A Firm Foundation

Wow, there is more than one layer to see how He is working through that verse. I agree with Ester too. Here’s something else that I notice happens a lot. People will no longer have a certain sin in their life. Yah removed that stone but they keep climbing on it when they read these types of verses. They can’t let go of the guilt. Somehow they still see themselves as the sinner. They don’t believe they are forgiven. They have in effect stamped themselves with that sin and hold on to it. They also stamp others and hold them to it. Everyone drags around stones that might not even be there! Never seeing themselves worthy and with clean feet and no pebbles underneath. They in effect won’t let God build a house. They are like the foreman on a job and says this place is condemned, not suitable to build. So, they destroy any good work or foundation. They don’t let God redeem the situation. But, He’s the master of taking broken foundations and miraculously making them solid.

Check this out: Two people were good friends who did drugs together and got drunk but realized this was really wrong. So over time they got free and remained good friends but no longer drank and did drugs. But, their association with that friend might keep reminding them of the bad old days………..but that’s not God’s thinking. They repented and changed. But they climb up on that stone. I’m the drunk and drug addict, how can God build on my immoral self. Look how I used to live. And you, are as bad as me, together we spell disaster.

Two other people are good friend, she is in a abusive marriage and knows it is going to end. Unfortunately, she and her friend fall in love too soon and commit adultery. They know it’s wrong and seek to get out of that. Eventually, the divorce happens. She and her good friend resume their relationship and desire marriage. But, one of them or maybe both carry around the guilt like a mill stone. When they read passages such as the one you mentioned, their mind hears satans lies and condemns them. Sometimes the association with that person reminds them that maybe they are still condemned, even though they walk pure and forgiven. When David sinned with Bathsheba and repented, God forgave him. He was punished and they moved on. You never hear of David recondeming himself or mentioning it again. Wash me and I will be clean….wow, he believed it and moved on. He and Bathsheba were restored to a holy relationship with a blessing from God called Solomon. God took a foundation which began with faulty concrete but when repentence was seen in David’s heart Yah miraculously changed that foundation and set David and Bathsheba on a solid rock.

I’ve heard it preached that those people who were in adultery and eventually married one another would have miserable marriages. I hate to think of the people who might have been hearing this and lived through it and felt condemned forever, or their children. I’m certainly not condoning adultery at all. I’m just talking about the stones under us and that sometimes we think God is not big enough to truly remove it no matter what the sin.

I want my kids to really get this so they don’t drag around mill stones. Everyone will sin, but living in sin and repeating the same folly is when the rocks and pebbles accumulate. Partial obedience and human strength isn’t going to cut it. Sometimes I think God just sits on his throne like a daddy watching his children play and do bad things as well. Eventually if we stay in his Word and see our madness and futile efforts we say ‘oh Daddy forgive me for my foolish disobedience.’ Then we climb into his lap and Yeshua helps clean our feet and sweep the stones away. His love and mercy is incomprehensible with our human minds. ‘But, I deserve more punishment than this.’ He says, ‘No, you are forgiven, go and play nice.’ That’s it? It’s too easy, where are my pebbles in my shoes? They must be somewhere!! And Yah says ‘Let it go!’

So, we are just as guilty of hanging on to stones that aren’t even there any longer. Time to tell Satan to buzz off and take those lies with him!

I know this is an older post, but fresh thoughts to those who are just now reading it. I broke bones in both of my feet. It hurt, but when I would step on the smallest little thing, it really hurt! I stepped around the big stuff because the big stuff is clearly in view, but it was those small little pebbles and little legos that caused me the most trouble. I didn’t see them and wasn’t ready and they caused the most pain and suffering. It was amazing to me that such a tiny thing could affect me like that.

I think that is how it is in our lives, too. We see the big stuff and can steer clear of those things, but it’s those small, hard-to-see pebbles, like you said, that can trip us up.