Secured on a Firm Foundation {Part 3}
In the Word is a devotional series through various passages of Scripture. Click {here} to read post posts in this series.
Today we are concluding a three-week series of biblical meditations through Psalm 19, which extols the Word of God. When the sufferings of this world seem impossible to bear, there is no secure foundation for the soul other than the Word of God. Feel free to revisit this post throughout the week to meditate slowly on the Word of God.
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?”
– John Rippon, 1787
Day 7: Break Through Grief
“More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.”
Psalm 19:10
As you return to your life, and take steps forward on this earthly ground again, I want to encourage you that the “new normal” can be beautiful. But to get there, you are going to have to take a big step, if you have not already. Moving forward in life means coming to a day when you break through your grief to say that there is Someone more valuable to you than your child, than being a mother, and than your family. I say this with the deepest sensitivity toward you, as I would also personally say this exclusively about God.
Modern life is fast, filled with new posts, new statuses, and many changes—but true delight is found in what is timeless and unchanging. It is found in the Lord—revering Him as God over me and Master in me, the One upon whom I can depend in all situations for His infinite wisdom, sovereignty, and goodness. And in the rules and precepts of the Word, more of God can be discovered. David could say that he loved the Word of God more than owning the greatest riches, and more than the sweetest desire satisfied. The Word is a wellspring of life to those who come and drink; it is where I find a dear Savior and submit to a trustworthy Master, my all in all circumstances.
Day 8: Learning What to Heed
“Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”
Psalm 19:11
Through this devotional series so far, we have explored what it means to love the Word of God. It teaches us the gospel, the good news that we can be freed from sin and self, and thrust onto a beautiful Savior. It gives wisdom amidst the seemingly uncontrollable storm of grief. It is right and true, a solid and secure foundation for rebuilding life. It gives strength and light because of the purity it places within the heart.
I have something to ask you today—do you know you are a Christian who belongs to God forever? Perhaps you have never confessed your sins to Him, turning from them with faith in Christ (Acts 3:19) who alone can save you (Titus 3:5; Romans 6:14; Romans 8:2). The reading of God’s Word reveals warnings. Without God, none of us are destined for heaven (Romans 6:23), and we cannot reach heaven by ourselves, because our self-produced “righteousness” is as good as filth (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:23).
The holy glory of God is so grand and He is so just a Judge that I would stand condemned in my sin if I did not place the faith of my life in Christ (John 3:18). But this is the good news—I have trusted Christ, my Lord. And so, I can know that He has taken on Himself the condemnation for my sins so that I can truly live freed from the burden of them. And you are invited to do this too! What reward is found in the Scriptures—we learn there of this Lord and Savior (Philippians 3:9; Romans 8:1)!
Have you slowed yourself before the warnings and rewards of His Word, heeding them? Have you found King Jesus the Savior of your soul, welcoming His reign in you?
Day 9: Declared Innocent
“Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults.”
Psalm 19:12
I don’t know what kind of regret or guilt you might be carrying today surrounding the death of your child. But the following two truths cover both true and false guilts.
First, the cross of Christ means that you are declared innocent from known and hidden faults. This is sweet relief. Find freedom in the innocence He lays over you, yours forever. Believer, God have forgiven you from everything; it could be no other way because Christ has provided this. You are declared innocent (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:5; 2 Cor. 5:21).
Second, the Word of God is life-giving precisely for people who cannot boast in having perfect knowledge of the future, but who instead want to boast in God: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD” (Jer. 9:33-34). Sister, you didn’t know what you didn’t know. When I was in the hospital for a check-up and the doctor offered to deliver a healthy baby less than 24 hours before her heartbeat left her—and I declined—I didn’t know what I didn’t know either. I cannot boast in having all-seeing wisdom, but I do boast in a wise God who will accomplish all of His purposes (Isaiah 46:10).
Day 10: Fresh Meditations
“Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.”
Psalm 19:13
Sin and grief become entangled. Grief is a storm. Sin is a burden. And separating the two accurately so that you can understand them is likely a steep challenge at times. The psalmist’s prayer is a comforting one that I echo—hold me back from sin. After going through loss, I have become convinced all the more deeply with truths surrounding life and death, perspectives about the future, and the value of life and time—and re-examining my convictions has been good. Yet, I have learned to ask: how am I using these convictions to think about others?
Think about the meditations of your own heart. Listen to what you are saying to yourself in the moments of your life that now feel, perhaps, all too quiet. I have asked: Am I disparaging others in any way, rejecting God in any way, or diminishing myself, though I am God’s child—actually, a form of pride—in any way? Am I giving time to thinking about what is simply not true? Take every thought back to the foundation of your rock, Christ in His Word, the One who has redeemed your life from every darkness, now and, finally, in eternity. What churns within? God’s Word can change the course of my thoughts, as needed, and let my mind become replenished with new meditations.
God’s Word refreshes us; it changes us. Let our meditations be pleasing to You; let them be true!
Sources: The ESV Study Bible, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, A Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments
- Lianna
Hope Mom to Noelle
Lianna belongs to her Lord. She is wed to Tyler and mother of two girls, one who lives in heaven and one who lives on earth. You’ll find her serving with Hope Mommies as Content Director and contributing to Unlocking the Bible.
Are you a writer who would like to join the blog team? Learn more and apply here.
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