A most critical issue...

A sure foundation...

What is your hope of heaven built upon?
What is your way of living built upon?

Israel had a terrible habit of not trusting God when national problems arose. They'd run quick to seek the help of other nations; they'd look to other neighbors' military powers.

Listen to what God tells Israel through the prophet Isaiah: "Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers, who rule this people in Jerusalem! Because you have said, 'We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement, when the overwhelming whip passes through it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter'; therefore thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ''Whoever believes will not be in haste.'' And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plumb line; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter.' Then your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; when the overwhelming scourge passes through, you will be beaten down by it." (Isaiah 28:14-18 ESV)

What God says to Israel is that He will give them a solid place to build -- a "...foundation...a test stone...a sure foundation..."

Friend, what God the Father was promising was God the Son. And, God tells Israel they don't have to "...be in haste...", meaning, they can trust His work of salvation and not run in haste to some other insufficient source of help. Then, God says, Israel's "...covenant with death will be annulled..." In other words, whatever trust Israel had put in other nations --in the strength of man-- would be annul what they had tried to do to secure safety for themselves.

This same foundation is good for New Testament believers, too. Paul quoted Isaiah 28:16 in Romans 10:11 because what was promised to Israel is now true for all; anyone who trusts Jesus as the foundation of their future and their present will not have to run to other things, nor will have any reason to worry that He is not enough.

Jesus taught these truths about Himself, too. Jesus said, "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it." (Matthew 7:24-27 ESV)

See that, dear friend? Everyone who hears and believes AND does that which causes them to believe on Jesus and live out the gospel is putting themselves on the sure foundation of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ of God.

He is the hope of heaven!
He is the Lord of life!
He is the sure foundation!
One need not make haste in running to some lesser thing!

What is your life built upon?