Hope Built on Christ
A famous hymn says, "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness." I Corinthians 3:11 says, For no one can lay any other foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. Our prodigals need someone in their life whose foundation is hope that is built on Christ. That person is you. You are their connection to God through prayer and love. It is important that you not give up on them or ignore where they are at in their faith. Especially before God. God may have shown you promises that He wants you to claim in faith. Without hope, your faith will suffer. Since you know Christ, your hope can remain strong if you abide in Him and don't let the cares of this world pull you away.
There were two men in Scripture who each built a house. One was wise and built his house on the rock. When the rains came and the floodwaters rose, the house didn't fall. The other man was foolish and built his house on the sand. When the storms came and the winds beat against the house, it collapsed (Matt. 7:24-27). Rock provides a stronger foundation than sand. Christ is the rock! When you listen to and put into practice what Jesus has said, you are like the wise man who built his house on the rock. Your hope will be in Christ and not in the circumstance.
David knew this very well. When he was on the run from Saul, when his enemies wanted to destroy him, or when he needed a safe place to go, he always ran to the Lord. He said, I love you, Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me. Like David, we can run to Lord because He is our rock and our foundation. He is our protector and a safe place to be.
In your day to day life, it may be difficult to run to the Lord with your wayward one. It's often easier to not think about it. Unless you are continuously confronted with the pain, it is tempting to bury it. I think God understands this. Lately, I have been dealing with some difficult things. God has been challenging me to stay in the pain or angst until the answer or peace comes rather than going back to the way things were...basically living in denial. This has been a challenge, but it has been paying off as I continually run to Him. I am finding Jesus to be a strong foundation on which to live.
I have something written on my mirror that I read in Jesus Calling a few years ago. This is what it says, "Jesus says stay in the present because that is where I am." When you live your life in the present with Jesus at your side, you will know Him as your Rock. He will be your foundation. You will have hope to persevere. It will be the kind of hope that is an anchor for your soul (Heb. 6:19); that will produce faith because you will be certain of what you are hoping for even though you haven't seen it yet (Heb. 11:1). It will be the kind of hope that will produce joy in the midst of difficulty (Rom. 12:12).
This is a promise for you:
Look, I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken.
Isaiah 28:16 NLT