Today in my quiet time, I read a really great commentary on this verse by John Piper that I wanted to share. He talked about how this is the foundation that nothing can shake. He said it is "so strong and so solid and so secure that there is absolutely no possibility that the promise could ever be broken. This is what makes it an ever-present strength in times of great turmoil. Whatever else gives way, whatever else disappoints, whatever else fails, this all-encompassing promise of future grace can never fail."
This got to me. I struggle with triviality a lot. I look for shallow entertainment. Why? Because it's mindless, and I can just forget about the world and all of my problems. It's a very bad habit. But then, there are those times when only God's truth matters to me, and nothing else, period. Just last weekend, my parents and I went out to Evan's college in Iowa to watch his graduation ceremony. (On a side note: great job, bro!! So proud of you!) The weather was beautiful, but suddenly, the sky turned VERY dark and it started to rain hard. We were in a mall when the tornado sirens went blaring. We were corralled into a back room and had to sit and wait for the sirens to go off. I wasn't too scared, considering I've heard many tornado sirens in my life that turned out to be false alarms. But then, I heard the wind, even from the cement-covered room. And I could swear I heard something crashing and crumbling. Everyone in the room got very quiet. My stomach churned at first, but then I thought, "It's okay. If I die, I know where I'm going. And my parents are here, too - how perfect! They're the ones I worry about leaving behind the most. They say there is nothing worse than losing a child. But they'd just come along with me! And so would Evan! Oh, but what about Laura, Anna and Jeremy? And my friends? And..." Well, anyway, the point is, I didn't care about trivial things like clothes or make-up at that moment. All that mattered was life and death. The small things, piled on top of the foundation that Piper talks about, were swept away. All that mattered was the cross and what had been accomplished for me.
Of course, this tornado never reached us. It DID touch down, only a few miles from where we are, actually. Thankfully, no one was hurt. I spent the rest of that day feeling fulfilled. No, I didn't have everything my heart desired - far from it. But I had Jesus. I realized, very acutely, that when it really comes down to it, I have all I need. I have my strong foundation. And everything else just...doesn't matter.
Just something I felt like sharing. God is good. :)
