If the foundations are destroyed,
What can the righteous do?  (Psalms 11:3)

It is only a children’s story after all with all the dramatic differences in the details while telling the same story – three little pigs, their houses and the big bad wolf that blows, with the threat of biting and, of course, killing.  Little pigs are not known for their robust stand in life.  At most they are slaughter-animals, fed to be fat, to be killed anyway.  But that is not part of the story.  The body of the story is all about building – building their  dwelling place to live a comfortable and care-free life, with no threat from the wolf.

First a house of straw that is blown away.  The little pigs flee in panic and  start again with wood.  Again the wolf has no problem to chase them in terror and trepidation. Only then, they learn from life’s training ground  to build with bricks.   We can never forget the picture at the end of happy, relaxed little pigs and a weary, worn-out wolf that looks on in defeat.

Paul asks the Corinthians with what they are building. 

Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.  (1 Corinthians 3:12,13)

Would wood, hay and straw give us a safe place in the fire of modern living?  With what and on what shall we build?

Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  (1 Peter 2:4,5)

We have a wolf that  blows up a storm and a lion that roars on our screens and in the social agenda to whip up guilt, shame and fear.  It threatens to devour.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.  (1 Peter 5:8)

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  (James 4:7)

For the unbeliever there is no haven, no safe place, no shadow in the heat of the argument.  For us, the precious children of God, there is a Tabernacle.

…then the Lord will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering. ⁶ And there will be a tabernacle for shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain.  (Isaiah  4:5,6)

What shall the righteous do when the foundations are destroyed.  Let us read the whole of Psalm 11.  The writer gives the answer even before the question.

In the Lord I put my trust;

There you have it – short and sweet.  The prophetic words of the Word in my mouth that rule my future.   It does not matter what is and what comes, my words establish the dominion of God over my life, my soul and the atmosphere around me.  I have a hiding place, a resting place.  I am a precious child of God, a little lower than the angels (Psalm 8)  and I will stand firm in faith in a God that has never failed me.  My God is the Everlasting Father (Isaiah 9) and I am in his Everlasting Arms (Deuteronomy 33)  hiding in his Shadow (Psalms 91).

How can you say to my soul,
“Flee as a bird to your mountain”?

We are not helpless little pigs fleeing from the wolf.  We are living stones in the Kingdom, precious stones in the House of God, the Church.  We are tested, with fire – indeed.  The world and the smoke from the pit of hell, persecute every value and virtue that we hold dear.  He says it…

For look! The wicked bend their bow,
They make ready their arrow on the string,
That they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart.

 If the foundations are destroyed,
What can the righteous do?

What can the righteous do?  The attack comes with fury and hatred that threatens to devour and demolish the very structure of Christian society and the family as the strength of a godly nation.

But…

The Lord is in His holy temple,
The Lord’s throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold,
His eyelids test the sons of men.

The Lord tests the righteous,
But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates. (Malachi 3:16-18)

Upon the wicked He will rain coals;
Fire and brimstone and a burning wind
Shall be the portion of their cup.

We are not helpless in the rage of the public debate.  We rely on the Holy Spirit to fill us with wisdom and knowledge to navigate life in love.  God will deal with our enemies.

For the Lord is righteous,
He loves righteousness;
His countenance beholds the upright.

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. 

(2 Chronicles 16:9)

Our foundation is truth.  We know the Man Who said, I am the Truth…  We shall not be moved. Our God reigns.

How beautiful upon the mountains
Are the feet of him who brings good news,
Who proclaims peace,
Who brings glad tidings of good things,
Who proclaims salvation,
Who says to Zion,
“Your God reigns!”  (Isaiah  52:7)

How will we live on?  Always in expectation of a miracle.  We are children of the almighty God, creator of heaven and earth.  Our God holds us in his Hand and our names are in his Book.

“He is not the soul of Nature, nor any part of Nature. He inhabits eternity: He dwells in a high and holy place: heaven is His throne, not his vehicle, earth is his footstool, not his vesture. One day he will dismantle both and make a new heaven and earth. He is not to be identified even with the ‘divine spark’ in man. He is God and not man.” ― C.S. Lewis, Miracles

Our future is faith in God to give us  our daily bread – spiritual and material.  

So shall they fear
The name of the Lord from the west,
And His glory from the rising of the sun;
When the enemy comes in like a flood,
The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.  (Isaiah 59:19)