Category: Worship Song of the Month

September 21: How Firm a Foundation

How firm a foundation, you saints of the Lord…

Some songs are directed toward God, some exhort or encourage our own hearts (perhaps addressed to “my soul”), and other songs we sing to each other.  We sing How Firm a Foundation to “you saints of the Lord.”  Who are these saints?    

When I think of saints, I think of people like Mother Theresa, or maybe Stephen.  Stephen, described in the Bible as being full of the Holy Spirit, delivered a hard-hitting, prophetic message, then looked up and saw the glory of Jesus in heaven, before being rushed at and dragged to his death.  A saint is someone with a sacrificial life and a dramatic death, right?  

Perhaps this is why some translations of the Bible don’t use the word “saints” anymore.  We could never live up to the example of people like Mother Theresa and Stephen.  We might think saints are only those canonized by the Catholic church.  The word might seem old-fashioned.  Or maybe the word is avoided because we’ve become disenfranchised with “spiritual greats” who have shown themselves to have grievous faults.  

Instead of saints, translations use phrases like “the people of the Lord,” “the body of Christ,” or “God’s holy people.”  The words being translated are derivatives of the Greek word “hagios” which simply means “holy.”  

The next time you sing “How Firm a Foundation,” remember that we are describing one another as holy.  Maybe you don’t think of yourself in this way, much less the person next to you in church.  But we are holy because we are God’s people.  Not because we’ve lived a sacrificial life or died a dramatic death, but because we’ve trusted in the One who did.  

For reflection:  Ephesians 1:15-23 and 2:19-22, Colossians 1:9-14, and 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 are a few of the passages that refer to God’s people as saints.  What promises and privileges are described in these verses?  Thank God for gifting you his holiness, and ask him to help you treat your brothers and sisters in Christ as holy.  

September 7: How Firm a Foundation

In the original publication of How Firm a Foundation, these words from 2 Peter 1:4 are printed above the first verse:  “Exceeding and precious promises” (KJV).  Verse 1 encourages us to build a foundation of confidence in God’s promises, found in the Bible. 

The author then goes on, in each consecutive verse, to remind us of some of these promises. Verse 2 references Isaiah 41:10; verse 3 calls to mind Isaiah 43:2, Zechariah 13:9, 1 Peter 1:7, and 2 Corinthians 12:9. And verse 4 points us to the many Bible verses that promise that Jesus will never leave us or forsake us– verses like Deuteronomy 31:6, Psalm 9:9-10, Matthew 28:20, and Hebrews 13:5.  When you sing “How Firm a Foundation,” think about these and other Scriptures that speak of God’s constancy and help in times of trouble.

For reflection:  How well do you know Scripture, so that God’s promises come to your mind when you are discouraged?   Look up each of the verses above, and read the promises referenced in “How Firm a Foundation.”  Which of God’s promises encourage you today?