"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."
Helaman 5:12
What strikes me today about this verse is the theme of building. Often, when God gives us a goal, like a promised land, or Zion, or a better future, instead of just teleporting us directly there, we need to build something... like an ark, or barges, or building up a people, or a city, or flocks, or talents. And even when we get to our promised land or we make it through the flood or the wilderness or the 7 years of labor, or we get a whole kingdom, it isn't just a nice package done up with a bow that we can open and enjoy. Instead, we have to work at it, create something that wasn't there before.
That's true of the foundation that is offered here. We have to build our foundation in Christ, and if we do, we "cannot fall" ... which is an amazing, awesome promise. But the building part isn't just figurative. We actually have to make an effort here, and build. We have to do more than believe. We need to act on that belief, and in that faith--action based on belief--we need to build our testimonies by reading the scriptures, praying, fasting, attending church, and being obedient to the word of God that we learn, test, and then incorporate into our lives. It's the same idea as the oil that the 10 virgins collect in the parable. Our physical *and* spiritual effort is needed if we want to be prepared, and if we want that sure foundation.
Today, let's work on our foundations, anchored in Christ, built immovably on that center rock with focus and faith. As we do, God will bless our efforts and we will learn to be not only strong and solid, but prepared to face whatever comes, with God's strength and protection.
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