A Crack in the Foundation

Excerpt taken from At Home in Your Heart: Inviting Christ into Every Room by Carol McLeod

 

A crack in the foundation of one’s home is absolutely devastating! Cracks in an otherwise stable foundation are able to appear when the home is old or new; they are generally precipitated by a change in the ground condi­tions under the foundation. When one side of a home’s foundation settles lower than the other, it causes uneven tension, and the cracking that then occurs is nothing short of calamitous. It is wildly expensive and ultimately time-consuming to repair a crack in the foundation of a home. There are times when the occupants must actually abandon the home and wait for the costly, arduous repairs to be made.

Is there a crack in the foundation of your heart? One is sure to appear when you choose fear over faith and worry instead of hope. Simply put, a crack in the foundation of your heart will always be birthed in a lack of trust.

But as for me, I trust in You, Lord, I say, “You are my God.” —Psalm 31:14

Life is a classroom, isn’t it? Every day that is spent this side of heaven’s glory is a decisive lesson in how to navigate pain and earthly disappoint­ment, yet still keep one’s foundation intact. When we default to doubt in the middle of circumstantial instability, it is then, in that tenuous moment, that the tension that predisposes cracks will certainly appear.

Storms in life will happen: that is a certainty. Obstacles in life will appear: that is a certainty. Mountains will stand in the way and refuse to move: that is a certainty. However, a crack in the foundation of your heart should never appear! The way to avoid a crack in the stability of your heart is to trust Jesus every day.

Because you know Jesus, who is the author and perfecter of your faith, you can trust and not be afraid! (See Hebrews 12:2.)

Because you are assured that all power has been given to Him, you can respond with wholehearted trust when life seems upside down! (See Matthew 28:18.)

Because you know that the God of David, Daniel, Moses, Ruth, and Esther is the God of you, you can sleep with peace and arise with joy! (See Psalm 102:24–28.)

Because you know that He is good and that He works all things together for good, you can smile at the future. (See Romans 8:28.)

For our heart rejoices in Him, because we trust in His holy name. —Psalm 33:21

Trust is a foundational issue in the heart of a believer in Jesus Christ. If you choose to panic, the condition of your heart will give way to a crack. If you choose to wail with frustration and worry in the night hours, the crack will grow even bigger and become more visible. However, if you “trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own under­standing” (Proverbs 3:5), He will protect your heart with His power and with His peace.

Heart Inspection

• What are you currently worried about?
• Are you able to give your worry and disappointment to your good, good Father today?
• What does the word “trust” mean to you?

Heartfelt Prayer

Lord Jesus, would You forgive me for choosing to worry about my future rather than trusting You with it? Would You give me the strength that I need today to put all my trust in You? I declare, Father God, that You are in control and that You are accomplish­ing what concerns me. In Jesus’s name, I pray. Amen.

Eternal Words

Trust in the Lord and do good; live in the land and cultivate faith­fulness. Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it. —Psalm 37:3–5

Digging Even Deeper

Read Psalm 31.

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