A giant sinkhole opened up in Schmalkalden, Germany, about 98 feet across and about 65 feet deep that swallowed a car, part of a garage and house. Yet, it was small compared to the sinkhole that opened up in Guatemala City in 2007. Reportedly, residents heard rumblings for weeks but no one knew why. In one day, almost instantly, a perfectly round plot of earth disappeared and left a hole more than thirty stories deep!
Experts suppose that sinkholes appear because of the movement of earth beneath what we see everyday. The problem can be caused by the movement of water, flooding or changing weather patterns. Sinkholes occur when there is literally no ground under the ground, and everything pays the price for the lack of foundation, especially what’s on the surface.
There are some Christians who are like those sinkholes; they have no foundation under the surface. When circumstances are right, their lives “cave in” and cause damages that no one would have believed or expected. Spiritual sinkholes occur because of lack of knowledge in the word of God (Heb. 5:12-14). Spiritual sinkholes occur when someone fails to act on their faith (cf. Matt. 7:24-27; 2 Pet. 1:5-11).
How does a person guard against erosion of their faith? Second Peter 1:5-7 teaches that the guard is a solid foundation of faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. “These things” repeated in verse 8, verse 9, verse 10, verse 12, and verse 15 are the surest way to solidify the foundation of faith. The promise is that one who “abounds in these things” will not be “unfruitful” or “barren,” “shortsighted,” and “will never stumble.”
Spiritual sinkholes can be avoided if there is more examination of self and examination of faith (Phil. 2:12; 2 Cor. 13:5)! Are our lives vulnerable to spiritual sinkholes brought about by lack of a firm foundation? We would all do well to thoughtfully and prayerfully make sure that we are building only on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ and His word (Matt. 7:24-27).
Andy Baker – Graeber Road church of Christ Rosenberg, TX
Scripture of the Week
Romans 12:9-10 “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.”
Think About It
Pathfinder of the Sea
In Richmond, Virginia, there is a statue of a man sitting on a chair with a Bible on the floor beside his left foot. This monument has an inscription: Matthew Fontaine Maury, Pathfinder of the Seas, the genius who first snatched from the oceans and atmosphere the secret of their laws. His inspiration: Holy Writ, Psalm 8:8; Ecclesiastes 1:6”.
This statue was placed there, along with the inscription in 1929, by the US Naval Institute.
Born in 1806, Commodore Maury became a renown American astronomer, historian, oceanographer, meteorologist, cartographer, geologist, and educator. But more than that, he was a Bible-believer who trusted the inerrancy of the Word of God. If the Bible said there are paths in the seas, he should be able to find them — and find them he did! A fact which has become of tremendous benefit to all seamen.
The passage Maury read says, “You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of Your hands; You put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas” (Psa. 8:5-8).
Although written many centuries ago, the Bible is a modern book. Primarily, it is not a scientific text. It was given to man as a perfect spiritual guide. It is a source book for spiritual development and soul culture. Yet, the Bible is scientifically accurate.
How appropriate it is that this psalm should close with the following words: “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” ~~ John Gibson, Little Rock, ARSomething to Smile About
