The following is adapted from a post originally published on August 26, 2012.
The Psalmist asked, “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3). When the moral fundamentals of the family, government, school, and even the church are rapidly eroding away, what can Godly people do? How far can we go in fighting evil without being guilty of adopting the world’s weapons? Should we barricade abortion clinics? Picket the capitol? Sign petitions? Boycott advertisers? Withdraw all our children from public schools? Band together to oppose certain politicians?
When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?
We can live righteously. Someone said a hypocrite is a person who complains about sex and violence on streaming programs they recorded! The Apostle Paul asked, “You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?” (Rom 2:21-23). God would have spared Sodom and Gomorrah for just ten righteous people. The best way to reinforce the foundations of America is for Christian people to live righteous lives.
We can build Godly homes. We decry family breakdown, but do we pray with our spouse, read the Bible with our family, discipline our children, and show our love to them?
We can support the ministry of the church. Rather than criticizing the church for not doing something dramatic, we can reinforce its foundations by attending services regularly, praying daily, giving sacrificially, and participating wholeheartedly in its mission. I’m convinced Satan is more threatened by one strong church faithfully proclaiming the gospel than by a thousand people demonstrating against one of Satan’s schemes.
We can participate in the political system. According to Pew Research Center, the last three elections (2018, 2020, and 2022) saw some of the highest voter turnout in decades. Yet, only 37% of those eligible to vote cast votes in all three! If we don’t become informed and participate in the system, then we have no right to complain about the foundations being destroyed.
We can speak up boldly about what we believe. When believers are silent about their convictions, the world presumes their sin is acceptable. We should take advantage of opportunities to voice our allegiance to Christ. The Bible says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.” This is no time for silence!
We can win people to Jesus Christ. There is only one sure foundation—Jesus Christ. “The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17).
We can trust that God is still in charge. Some of our frustration with crumbling foundations is a lack of faith. Is God still in charge or are we? Psalm 11:4 answers the question: “The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine them.”
We must remember that no matter how hopeless the situation may seem, God is still on His throne, poised to fulfill His promise to make things right one day. So let us put our trust in Him, not the crumbling systems of this world.
I enjoy watching the University of Louisville’s basketball and football games. If I can’t see the game live, I often record the broadcast and watch it later, fast-forwarding through the commercials. When doing so, I avoid learning the outcome in advance because it helps make the game almost as much fun as watching it in real-time.
Yet, sometimes a well-meaning fan will text me and say, “Wow! Wasn’t that a great game? I thought we were beaten until that last-second score. That was awesome!”
There is a big difference between watching a game live and watching it recorded when you know the outcome. Sometimes, that is a good thing. For instance, knowing in advance that my team wins keeps me from getting upset by a player’s mistake or a referee’s bad call. I don’t get nervous if my team falls behind. Knowing you win in the end eliminates anxiety and makes you a much more objective fan.
The Bible assures us repeatedly that God is still in charge and He’s going to be victorious even though it may not look like it now. He specializes in pulling victories out of apparent defeat. Moses’ followers saw no way out when trapped at the Red Sea. Gideon’s 300 looked pitifully inept against the Midianite hordes. Elisha was surrounded by King Aram’s horses and chariots. Lazarus looked really dead in the tomb. The crucified Christ looked finished when nailed to the cross. Paul and Silas looked helpless in the Philippian jail.
One day in the future, “every knee will bow and every tongue confess Jesus Christ as Lord.” In the meantime, I need the constant reminder to quit fretting, and continue to trust the Lord and confidently build on His Word. “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11).
