Foundations Of Our Faith

Petra, in western Jordan, is the red-rock city carved out of “living stone.” It is believed by many to be Sela (2 Kings 14:7; Isaiah 16:1; possibly also referenced in Judges 1:36; Isaiah 42:11). Especially interesting to me when I visited was the eastern entrance. A narrow, half-mile pathway down a wadi took us through a crevice in a wall of rock. At the end of the wadi, an unforgettable view of the solid-rock city presented itself to us. Tradition says that wall is the stone that Moses struck to get water for the people of Israel and the cleft in the rock is the fissure through which water poured out (Exodus 17:1–7).

Remembering one’s solid foundation sets the tone for growth throughout life. Abraham served as the solid foundation and example of faithful, righteous living for Israel. Today we look to the one Abraham waited for—Jesus Christ. How will you honor your solid foundation?

Charles R. Boatman et al., “God Offers Deliverance,” in The NIV Standard Lesson Commentary, 2021–2022, ed. Jane Ann Kenney et al., vol. 28, The NIV Standard Lesson Commentary (Colorado Springs, CO: Standard Publishing, 2022), 372.