Strong Foundation

Although this weekend’s earthquake in Chile was considerably stronger than the recent one in Haiti, there were significantly fewer deaths. Experts are saying one of the reasons for this incidence is the stricter codes by which structures in Chile are built. Many are designed with steel beams capable of bending and swaying with seismic activity. Unfortunately Haitian buildings did not provide the same protection.

It makes sense -- the way we build and protect our homes and cities matters.

When I took the Entrusted with a Child’s Heart class for the first time 10 years ago, one of the first verses I memorized for the study was Psalm 127:1.

Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain.

Today, my children range in age from toddlers to teens, and we encounter a full range of blessings and challenges. Yet this truth remains as central to me now as it did 10 years ago: God alone must be the architect and foundation of my home – spiritually, emotionally, financially… in every way.

I am so thankful to have His Word and other believing friends who point me toward lasting truth and hope. Building my family with any other foundation or materials would leave me with nothing but rubble and chaos when life’s disasters come.

With this in mind, I am encouraged to live by His "building code" in every challenge I encounter, knowing that as I seek to glorify Him, He will provide for my every need at the right moment. To know that the Lord builds and guards my family gives me the security I need to live each day on purpose for Him.

(Scripture memory verse from Lesson 1 of Entrusted with a Child’s Heart)