A Firm Foundation

 “Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”— Matthew 7: 24-27

The name of Edward Mote doesn’t often bring a list of favorite hymns to mind for the Church today. At least not like the names of Fanny J. Crosby or B.B. McKinney will. However, Mr. Mote wrote one of our most cherished hymns, The Solid Rock, and just as with so many others, each verse reinforces biblical doctrine. Jesus is our rock, our firm foundation. All hope is built on Him.

Edward Mote’s testimony should inspire all Christians. He wasn’t brought up in a godly home. His parents managed a pub in London, and as a boy, Edward would spend most of his Sundays playing in the city streets. His words about his theological upbringing were, “So ignorant was I that I did not know that there was a God.”

His life changed when he was apprenticed to a Christian cabinet maker. Under the influence of this man, Edward was exposed to the Word of God and was baptized at the age of 18. Even though he went on to become a successful cabinet maker himself—his career for the next 37 years—he always found time to worship God. Eventually, at the age of 55, he became the pastor of a Baptist church in Horsham, Sussex. He didn’t miss a Sunday in the pulpit for the next 21 years until ill health brought his resignation in 1873. He died the following year at the age of 77.

Mr. Mote was especially interested in Christian music. While walking to work one morning in 1834, it entered his mind to write a hymn. Over the course of that day, he wrote not only a chorus but six verses as well. Later, those six verses were combined and strengthened into the four we have today. The original title was The Immutable Basis of a Sinner’s Hope. When it was published in a collection of hymns in 1863, the tune Solid Rock, composed by William B. Bradbury, was paired with it. That is the beautiful song in our hymnals today.

Several contemporary artists have taken this sacred hymn and combined it with the equally powerful song, In Christ Alone. What a testimony song for every Christian. In Christ alone we stand. He is our solid rock and firm foundation.

Dear Lord, 
Thank you for giving me a firm foundation that will not be shaken. I will hold fast to You alone.