When I am properly aligned with Christ as the cornerstone of my foundation, I can walk with confidence on the journey: No longer in a panic, no longer rushing, no longer with inefficient haste…but instead laboring peacefully as He has called me to.
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Scripture
Isaiah 28:16
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.’
Observation
God has placed a cornerstone in Zion, as a sturdy foundation. Jesus Christ is revealed in 1 Peter 2 as being the fulfillment of this promise: He is the the foundational element which aligns and guides the entire structure of the Church, and securely underpins everything which rests upon his completed work.
Application
The sun was just coming up over the lake as we broke camp–though we could barely see its glow, because of the thick smoke in the air. It stung my eyes, and burned in my lungs. The falling ash rained down on our campsite like a gentle dusting of snow as we hurried to take down the tents and roll up our sleeping bags. The forest fire was still over 20 miles away, but our backpacking trip was being cut short due to the direction that the wind had shifted. I quickly strapped the tents, sleeping bags, and other gear to my backpack, shifting extra weight and equipment from the family’s packs to my own so that we could hike more quickly–and we set off on the trek back to the trailhead. All was well…for the first 5 minutes. As I started up the slope of the first hill, I noticed that I was being pulled too far backward by the tent slung to the bottom of my pack–so I leaned farther forward. This shifted the sleeping bag and other equipment on the top of my pack, and began to pull me to the side. I staggered on for another hundred yards, before finally stepping off the trail and letting my family move on ahead of me.
As I began to look more closely at my pack, I realized my error. The problem wasn’t the amount of weight I was carrying–the problem was that the ‘foundation’ of my pack was all wrong. I had put the wrong things on the bottom of my pack, and strapped bulky items too far outward on the back of it away from my spine. The result was that the 85 pounds of actual weight I was carrying, felt more like 185 pounds! I took a moment to catch my breath, then began to reassemble my pack with the right foundation and balance. Once it was reassembled, I started up the hillside and quickly caught up to my family. Though the weight I now carried was no less, my heart rate and breathing were now slow and regular–and my steps were now strong and steady.
This is a lot like my walk in life. When my life is built on the wrong foundation (or not aligned properly with the foundation!), my movements become frantic and rushed as I try to keep up with the stresses and pressures. I stagger off the trail one way, rebound, and then teeter for a moment as I try not to fall over backward. I struggle and strain, fighting and clawing my way up the hill with a rising sense of panic.
This isn’t how God intended my life to work! He has given me a firm foundation, a solid rock on which to build. He has given me Jesus Christ as a cornerstone, to guide and align my heart and my decisions. He has equipped me with everything I need to handle the weight of the journey! The question is…am I aligned with the cornerstone? Am I allowing Him to support and uphold the weight…or am I fighting to carry and support it all myself? Some seasons are heavier than others–but the foundation is designed to bear far more weight than I could ever hope to.
This week, I choose to realign my life with the cornerstone of the risen Savior. Instead of struggling to keep everything going on my own strength, I choose to take the time to unload my pack and breathe for a moment. Then, with the help of the Savior, I can reassemble the load with a proper balance and structure defined by the Cornerstone. There may be some things that need to get removed permanently from my pack…but even those things which remain may weigh a fair amount. With Christ as the firm foundation, I can then set off on the journey again: No longer in a panic, no longer rushing, no longer with inefficient haste…but instead laboring peacefully as He has called me to.
Prayer
God, thank you for this reminder of the importance of a cornerstone! When I see myself panicking, rushing, and stumbling back and forth on the trail…help me to slow down and get my foundation right. Things work so much better when I am aligned with the foundation of your Word and your Spirit! Help me this week to walk with intentionality, guided and upheld continually by You as my strong foundation.
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