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.

This is of course a very famous prophecy, quoted in the New Testament, and it has been magnificently set to music. There is no question that it speaks of the Messiah, but we need to think about its implications in our daily lives. Just ahead of this, the Jewish leaders are quoted as saying, “We have made a lie our refuge and falsehood our hiding place.” Lies are amorphous, figments of imagination, because they have no objective truth behind them, and are the polar opposites of a foundation stone. Typically of the devil, his onslaughts today are all lies, extending all the way to basic biology. The counter to all that is to stand on the Rock, Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6) One of the basic facts about the devil and his lies is that there is no foundation. An old Japanese term for the world of nightlife and bars and brothels is ukiyo, the “floating world.” Part of that may have come from the fact that “red light districts” were often by rivers or canals, but such are common in Japan. The “floating world” can and often does seem glamorous, but with no foundation it is swept away. Those who know Christ must stand on Him and insist on truth, rejecting the avalanche of lies. As Jesus pointed out, without a foundation we cannot stand. (Matthew 7:24-27) In that, though, He specifies that His truth must be put into practice for it to be effective. We can’t just say, yes, yes, and then do nothing about it. (James 1:22) We all need a foundation, and Jesus is the only one that will ultimately stand the tests of time and eternity.

I had the incredible privilege and advantage of being raised by a man who held absolute honesty as one of his guiding principles, and that was based on his knowledge of and devotion to Jesus Christ. I have tried to do the same, but I have shown myself to be all too adept at fooling myself (to go back to what James said). As I minister in Japan, I find that many people have no real concept of a foundation in life. After all, in Buddhism the ultimate “good” is mu, nothingness! For the foundation of faith to be laid, sometimes a lot of digging has to take place. However, nothing is impossible with God, and the Japanese people have a history of commitment to the point of martyrdom. I cannot lay a foundation in someone else’s life, but I can provide the materials and ask the Holy Spirit to do the work. He is more than up to the task!

Father, thank You for providing, for being, the foundation we all need. Help me be firmly established on that foundation but not be satisfied with that for myself alone. Help me be a good builder, as Paul described himself, (1 Corinthians 3:10) so that Your Church may indeed rise as You intend, bringing many into Your Kingdom and destroying the lies of the devil, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!