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“I know my faith is founded On Jesus Christ, my God and Lord; And this my faith confessing, Unmoved I stand on His sure Word. Our reason cannot fathom The truth of God profound; Who trusts in human wisdom Relies on shifting ground. God’s Word is all-sufficient, It makes divinely sure; And trusting in its wisdom, My faith shall rest secure.”
“God’s Word is all-sufficient … trusting in its wisdom my faith shall rest secure.” The all-sufficient Word was the point at which the crafty serpent of Eden attacked the work of God. It was the point at which Adam and Eve rebelled, refusing to trust the Lord and the wisdom of His Word. Satan planted that seed of doubt about the Word: “Did God actually say …?” (Genesis 3:1b). In the face of that tempting question, Eve’s trust of the Lord and His Word crumbled. Relying on her human reason, Eve saw that the fruit of the tree “was desired to make one wise” (Genesis 3:6b). She could be like God, or so she believed. Turning from the Word of God, Adam and Eve chose to eat the fruit forbidden to them and their eyes were opened, not to divine wisdom, but to the appalling truth of evil, sin, and shame.
The serpent’s deceitful plan worked in Eden and that same plan is still successful today. Satan seeks to turn people from the truth of God’s Word and lead them instead to seek spiritual growth and wisdom on the shifting ground of their own human reason. According to human reason, truth can be a flexible, unstable thing, often subject to change. Current culture may speak of “my truth” as opposed to “your truth” or suggest, “What is true for you is not true for me.” As Scripture says, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him” (1 Corinthians 2:14a). The Word of God reveals the profound and blessed truth that God loves us and sent His Son to be our Savior. Enlightened by the Holy Spirit, we believe this marvelous truth because “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16b).
Our faith is founded on Jesus Christ and because we trust in Him, we trust His all-sufficient Word. The Word of God teaches what human reason could never discover, the truth that Jesus Christ was crucified and raised from the dead for our salvation. According to the world’s wisdom, that great truth of salvation is just so much foolishness, but as the apostle Paul writes, “It pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe” (1 Corinthians 1:21b). It is wisdom revealed in God’s Word. It is the precious wisdom of the cross.
WE PRAY: Jesus, You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. I trust in You alone for salvation. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. It is based on the hymn, “I Know My Faith Is Founded,” which is number 587 in the Lutheran Service Book.
Reflection Questions:
- Who is the most trustworthy person you know?
- What does Paul mean when he says that “It pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe”?
- How has God shown us in His Word that He is trustworthy?
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