House of Hope Online

August 23, 2026

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The word of the Lord today is “Foundation.”  We normally think of a foundation in terms of a building.  It is the base upon which the entire building depends.  If you take away the foundation, or if the foundation is flawed or not constructed properly, whatever it is supporting will collapse.

A foundation, more broadly, also describes the basis for a way of thinking, or living.  It can be an endowment supporting a college or other institution.  Each of us has a foundation for how we believe or think, or live.

The point is, the foundation of a structure, or a way of thinking, or a way of living, is critically important because it supports everything else.  For this reason, the Bible has a lot to say about foundations.

The Lord has been asking me about the foundation of my thinking lately.  Are my decisions based on good foundation?  What is the basis for my thinking?  Are my desires based on Godly principles or selfish motives?  Am I Kingdom focused, or self-centered?

Foundation for Christians

In his first letter to the Corinthian Church, the Apostle Paul was addressing the importance of the foundation for the newly founded Christian Church.  He emphasized no teacher should be the foundation, only Jesus should be.

1^st Corinthians 3:

 11 ¶ For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (NKJV)

Likewise, Jesus emphasized the importance of the foundation in His Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 7:

 24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:

 25 “and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

 26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:

 27 “and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

So, as we make decisions in this life, are our choices based on the sayings of Jesus, or are they based on worldly wisdom?  Is our foundation built on the Rock of Ages, or on sandy beaches and fleeting pleasures?  Jesus is telling us that when the storms of life come, we are going to need that good solid foundation of His teaching.

Many of Jesus’ sayings contain practical advice for us in life and finances.  For example, in Luke 14, He was explaining that there was a cost involved in following Him.  It may cost us our family or friends, and He taught that we needed to calculate that cost and be willing to pay it if we want to be His disciples.

Luke 14:

 28 “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it —

 29 “lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him,

 30 “saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’

In teaching a great spiritual principle, Jesus also gives the practical advice to measure the cost of any endeavor so that we will not have to abandon the project due to lack of funding. 

As a man who started in the budget department of a coal company, I have always loved that passage, but there are many who do not follow that principle in the natural realm nor in the spiritual realm. 

Unfortunately, many of us depend on worldly wisdom instead of Jesus’ sayings.

Building on Worldly Wisdom

Paul sternly warned against adopting the ways and wisdom of the world.

1^st Corinthians 3:

 18 ¶ Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.

 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”;

 20 and again, “The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”

In Psalms 108, David did not think highly of the help of man.

Psalms 108 (A Psalm of David):

 12 Give us help from trouble, For the help of man is useless.

 13 Through God we will do valiantly, For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.

Trusting Governments

A form of building on worldly wisdom is trusting governments.  Political debates have turned disrespectful and have become divisive even within families.  This is a symptom of trusting governments for peace, security, and economic provision instead of relying on the One who came to give us an abundant life.

Whatever your political persuasion, rest assured that leaders who do not bow to Jesus will not have much of a future when the Father decides it is time for His Kingdom to come.

Psalms 110 (A Psalm of David):

 5 ¶ The Lord is at Your right hand; He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath.

 6 He shall judge among the nations, He shall fill the places with dead bodies, He shall execute the heads of many countries.

Psalms 107:

 40 He pours contempt on princes, And causes them to wander in the wilderness where there is no way;

Man and governments are not our answer, but waiting on the Lord is.

Reasons to Wait on the Lord

Usually, when a building is built on a poor foundation, corners are cut to save time or money, or both.   Jesus said, if one does not take the time to calculate the cost to complete the project ahead of time, poor decisions and embarrassment will follow.  In the same way, impatience leads to poor foundations for decision-making in other areas of our lives.  Therefore, the Bible teaches us to wait on the Lord, and to trust in His word.

Psalms 130:

 5 ¶ I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope.

Remember, the soul is the mind, will, and emotions, so all three need to wait on the Lord’s timing, especially the emotions.  If we become impatient, what is the foundation for that emotion?  Is our soul longing for something that is outside the will of God in our lives?  Is the impatience driven by a desire for something that violates Jesus’ sayings?  Is the sin of pride driving our decision?

Psalms 107:

 9 For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness.

The Book of James encourages us to submit all our plans and aspirations to the Lord.

James 4:

 13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”;

 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”

James is telling us to subordinate our wants and desires to the Lord.  Unwillingness to do that is prideful.

Blessings of a Firm Foundation

In closing then, Paul wrote there can be no other foundation than Jesus.  Psalms 112 encourages us that there are many powerful blessings that accrue to the one who subordinates to the will of God, the one who is Kingdom focused, not self-centered.

Psalms 112:

 1 ¶ Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who delights greatly in His commandments.

 2 His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed.

 3 Wealth and riches will be in his house, And his righteousness endures forever.

 4 Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.

 5 A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs with discretion.

 6 ¶ Surely he will never be shaken; The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.

 7 He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.

The man who fears the Lord is the one who holds the holiness of Jesus in reverence.  He is a man who is aware of and in awe of Jesus’ power and might.  The man who fears the Lord desires to please Jesus always.

The descendants of a God-fearing man will be mighty.  Wealth and riches will come into his house.

Note verse 5:  a good man deals graciously and lends and guides his affairs with discretion.  The Hebrew word for “discretion” is “mishpat,” (pronounced “mish-pawt’,” which means in context managing your practical life, money, and business affairs in a fair and just manner that is aligned with the word of God.

The promise in verses 6-7 is that such a man will not be shaken, or fearful.  There is great confidence that comes from truly trusting in the Lord and no other, flawed foundations.

Let us pray.

Father God, thank You for the foundation that is Jesus Christ, the Lord.  We repent for depending on others for our main support system.  Quicken us by Your Holy Spirit when we allow pride and other fleshly and worldly desires to come into our spirit.  Draw us by Your Spirit into the peace and wisdom of Your presence.  Teach us to deal graciously, to lend, and to manage our affairs with discretion.  We pray this in Jesus’ name, the name that is above all names.  Amen.

If anyone has not yet received the Lord Jesus Christ in their heart, and desires to do so, please repeat this prayer after me:

Father God, I repent of my sin and ask for forgiveness today.  I confess and declare with my mouth that Jesus is Lord, and I believe with all my heart that You raised Him from the dead for the forgiveness of sins.  Jesus, please come into my heart and change me.  Send the Holy Spirit to guide and direct me in wisdom and to enable me to overcome temptation from this day forth.  Thank You for my salvation.  I look forward to the day of the Rapture when I can be with You forever.  Amen.