Week of Monday, May 8 – Sunday, May 14
Firm Foundation – Man as Chaplain
Now in the second year after their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak made a beginning, together with the rest of their kinsmen, the priests and the Levites and all who had come to Jerusalem from the captivity. They appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to supervise the work of the house of the Lord. … And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments came forward with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord, according to the directions of David king of Israel. And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.” And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. - Ezra 3:8, 10-11 ESV
The season of Spring reminds us of God’s principles for growth and fruitfulness. In his book Rooted, Banning Liebscher relates:
In the cycle of fruit-bearing plants, fruit comes at the very end. The cycle starts with a seed being planted in the ground. When watered, the seed will break open and begin to put down roots. That root system will continue to grow as the seed forms a shoot and eventually breaks through the surface of the soil into air and sunlight. Both the plant and its root system will keep growing until the plant is strong and mature enough to bear fruit. Significantly, in order for a plant to survive, much less bear fruit, its root system has to take up more space underground than the plant takes up above ground. When you look up at one of those immense redwoods in the Avenue of the Giants, for example, you’re actually standing on root systems that are wider than those trees are tall. This is the principle of foundations. A foundation always has to be bigger than the thing it is supporting.[1]
The Israelites who had returned to their beloved Jerusalem after their time in Babylonian captivity desired to rebuild the most sacred of all places to them: the temple. As they began, they were careful to do so in accordance with the law of Moses. Then, they gave praise as the foundation was laid. The foundation of our lives is just as important, if not more!
For us to be the men that God intends us to be, we must have a solid spiritual foundation, with the cornerstone being Christ. Our lives must be built upon and anchored in the Word of God. It’s true and steadfast and everlasting. A W Tozer writes: “The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual [maturity]. And we must not select a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.”[2]
Strong and courageous men are the byproduct of lives that are rooted and grounded, led and directed in every facet by the Word of God. Men, that kind of foundation is essential to having a fruitful life!
[1] Banning Liebscher, Rooted: The Hidden Places Where God Develops You (Colorado Springs: WaterBrook, 2016), 3.
[2] A.W. Tozer, Of God and Men (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2015), 78.
Firm Foundation – Man as Chaplain
Now in the second year after their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak made a beginning, together with the rest of their kinsmen, the priests and the Levites and all who had come to Jerusalem from the captivity. They appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to supervise the work of the house of the Lord. … And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments came forward with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord, according to the directions of David king of Israel. And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.” And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. - Ezra 3:8, 10-11 ESV
The season of Spring reminds us of God’s principles for growth and fruitfulness. In his book Rooted, Banning Liebscher relates:
In the cycle of fruit-bearing plants, fruit comes at the very end. The cycle starts with a seed being planted in the ground. When watered, the seed will break open and begin to put down roots. That root system will continue to grow as the seed forms a shoot and eventually breaks through the surface of the soil into air and sunlight. Both the plant and its root system will keep growing until the plant is strong and mature enough to bear fruit. Significantly, in order for a plant to survive, much less bear fruit, its root system has to take up more space underground than the plant takes up above ground. When you look up at one of those immense redwoods in the Avenue of the Giants, for example, you’re actually standing on root systems that are wider than those trees are tall. This is the principle of foundations. A foundation always has to be bigger than the thing it is supporting.[1]
The Israelites who had returned to their beloved Jerusalem after their time in Babylonian captivity desired to rebuild the most sacred of all places to them: the temple. As they began, they were careful to do so in accordance with the law of Moses. Then, they gave praise as the foundation was laid. The foundation of our lives is just as important, if not more!
For us to be the men that God intends us to be, we must have a solid spiritual foundation, with the cornerstone being Christ. Our lives must be built upon and anchored in the Word of God. It’s true and steadfast and everlasting. A W Tozer writes: “The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual [maturity]. And we must not select a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.”[2]
Strong and courageous men are the byproduct of lives that are rooted and grounded, led and directed in every facet by the Word of God. Men, that kind of foundation is essential to having a fruitful life!
- If the outer layers of our lives were removed, what would our spiritual foundation look like? Is Christ truly the cornerstone of your life? What evidence would you offer?
- Are you intentionally building into the lives of those you love a strong foundation of faith in God and trust in His Word? Make FRC’s Stand on the Word Bible reading plan a part of your life and the lives of those you love. Visit frc.org/Bible or text “Bible” to 67742.
- Ask God to help you be a strong spiritual leader who lays a firm foundation.
[1] Banning Liebscher, Rooted: The Hidden Places Where God Develops You (Colorado Springs: WaterBrook, 2016), 3.
[2] A.W. Tozer, Of God and Men (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2015), 78.