When I look back to August 2017, I hear bullets of rain hitting the roof, taste mashed potatoes from disaster-relief food trucks, smell the heavy stench of mildew, feel the hot Texas sun while wearing jeans and an N95 mask, and see my friends’ and family members’ lives strewn across their front yard in a muddied, drenched mess.
Hurricane Harvey wreaked disaster on the Houston area, with thousands of families losing their homes and businesses to the unrelenting, contaminated floodwater. It took only seven days for my hometown to receive 56 inches of rain (yes, you read that right) and many months for us to rebuild.
Yet, if a tourist were to drive through my hometown today, it would take some investigating for them to unveil Harvey’s impact. We have a better drainage system. Homes built next to our many creeks now sit atop stilts.
It’s the invisible damage that has the greatest impact – collections of wedding and baby photos that can never be replaced and the traumatic memories of watching one’s home slowly be infiltrated by water, planning escape routes to be enacted in the blink of an eye.
But in the days that followed, members of our community rallied around one another, offering unfettered help. Church members of all denominations joined hands in prayer and volunteer efforts. Reality shows turned up on random doorsteps, offering believers a national platform to share faith’s resilience in the face of disaster. Because of a firm and unshakeable foundation, we rebuilt.
Choosing the cornerstone
In Ezra 3, we find the Israelites on their way to rebuild Jerusalem under the decree of Cyrus, king of Persia, after a period of captivity. In an act of sovereignty, God stirred Cyrus’ heart to not only give the Israelites permission to rebuild but also provide them the resources to do it!
Despite the imposing fear of surrounding enemies, the Israelites first offered sacrifices upon arriving in the Promised Land and praised God. The very next step they took was to rebuild the temple’s foundation.
And they sang, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, saying, ‘For He is good, for His favor is upon Israel forever.’ And all the people shouted with a great shout of joy when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid (Ezra 3:11).
Soon enough, Israel’s surrounding enemies developed a scheme to damper the temple rebuilding project. They discouraged the people and bribed corrupt officials until a new king came into power. Targeting the king’s pride, they urged him to halt reconstruction, arguing it would only promote rebellion and hinder tax revenue. To support their request, they directed the king to old records displaying Jerusalem’s rebellion, insisting disobedience was the reason for their destruction.
We are informing the king that if that city is rebuilt and the walls finished, then as a result of this you will have no possession in the province beyond the Euphrates River (Ezra 4:16).
Predictably, the king conceded to their request. But both Israel’s enemies and the king missed an integral component of the temple’s rebuilding: its foundation. Jerusalem’s adversaries assumed the building’s walls were the source of its power and protection. When ordering construction on the walls to cease, they neglected to realize the foundation had already been rebuilt.
Come what may
When we trust in Christ as our Savior, He becomes the cornerstone of our lives. Suddenly, we are transformed with eternal purpose and unwavering hope. However, amidst the daily troubles and heavy rainfall of life here on earth, our walls get knocked down, and all we are left with is the basic foundation of our faith – Jesus, our compassionate, loving, sacrificial Shepherd.
For no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11).
So many of our faith journeys entail church hurt. We became members of a local church body and constructed beautiful, ornate walls with building blocks for choir practices, Sunday School teachers, and potluck dinners. But suddenly, our walls crumbled. They were knocked down by those we did life with. All that remained was our foundation in Christ.
So many of our faith journeys entail failed marriages. We committed our lives to the person we thought would remain our closest companion for better or for worse. We constructed beautiful, ornate walls of family vacations, community involvement, and everyday partnership. But suddenly, our walls crumbled. We had to create a new normal, and all that remained was our foundation in Christ.
So many of our faith journeys entail sickness and disease. We found the joy of pursuing a career that allowed us to use our God-given gifts. But suddenly, our walls crumbled. Our bodies failed us. With only our foundation remaining, we had to fix our eyes on eternity.
Christ is our firm foundation. He is our only source of strength to withstand the floods and fires that are guaranteed to come our way. Rebuilding is costly and painful, and memories of the past never fully go away. When the Israelites finished rebuilding the temple, the cries of the older generation that remembered the temple’s previous glory collided with the joyous shouts of the newer generation who had no recollection of the past.
Because of Christ, crumbled walls are only a temporary setback, a reminder that we aren’t home yet. Hold on to the Savior, who provides unshakeable hope. Invite believers in your life to pick up a hammer and some nails and get to work alongside you. Rejoice in the beauty of rebuilding, remembering there are always much better things in store.
Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms; if that were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you (John 14:1-2).
