My lifelong personal hero is a man known to millions around the world. He is an historical personality admired and followed by billions of faithful adherents for several thousand years. He was considered a rebel during his time, a radical, and some considered him a trouble maker. But he was a religious leader, a teacher of truth, and a preacher of strict adherence to a certain moral code.  

As recorded in historical documents there was one occasion when a crowd of hundreds of folks anxious to glean from this man’s wisdom had followed him to a hill where he rose up before them and preached a message of just over 2,000 words.  

It was a message that has been quoted by millions throughout the ages. Parts of this message have been included in the speeches of dignitaries, royalty, presidents and commoners as well. 

My hero concluded that powerful message on the hill with these words: “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.  

“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” 

I grew up hearing and even singing an old hymn that was first published back in the 18th century, in 1787 to be exact. The hymn’s first publication was in a hymnbook that was edited by the English Baptist minister, John Rippon, and he called the collection of sacred songs, A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors.  

The song writer is not known. Some hymn historians have attributed it to someone known simply as “K.” No matter who wrote it, this sacred song holds a special place in my heart. That hymn has been one of my favorites over the years, and its lyrics are built upon the words of my lifelong hero.  

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock…”  

The song goes like this: How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in His excellent Word! What more can He say than to you He hath said, who unto the Savior for refuge have fled? In every condition, in sickness, in health, in poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth, at home and abroad, on the land, on the sea, as days may demand, shall thy strength ever be. Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed, for I am thy God and will still give thee aid. I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand. When through the deep waters I call thee to go, the rivers of sorrow shall not overflow; for I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless, and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress. When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, My grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply. The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine. The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose I will not, I will not desert to his foes; that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!  

I came across an interesting story of this hymn’s power to unite men who at one time had been bitter enemies, serving on different sides in the American Civil War.  

About 30 years after the end of the Civil War, these American soldiers were serving in the Spanish-American War, and were set up in camps near Havana, Cuba. There were still hard feelings carried over between the North and the South. 

 But, in 1898 on Christmas Eve, this beautiful and powerful hymn was sung by an entire corps of the United States Army there on the fields in Cuba. The Lieutenant-Colonel Curtis Guild, Jr. was there that day and he told the story to The Sunday-School Times, and it was retold in print in 1901.  

Guild wrote: “On Christmas Eve of 1898, I sat before my tent in the balmy tropical night near Havana chatting with a fellow-officer of Christmas and home.  

“Suddenly from the camp of the Forty-ninth Iowa rang a sentinel’s call, ‘Number ten; twelve o’clock, and all’s well!’  

“It was Christmas morning. Scarcely had the cry of the sentinel died away, when from the bandsmen’s tents of that same regiment there rose the music of an old, familiar hymn, and one clear baritone voice led the chorus that quickly ran along those moonlit fields: ‘How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord!’ 

“Another voice joined in, and another, and another, and in a moment the whole regiment was singing, and then the Sixth Missouri joined in, with the Fourth Virginia, and all the rest, till there, on the long ridges above the great city whence Spanish tyranny once went forth to enslave the New World, a whole American army corps was singing – “Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed; For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid; I’ll strengthen thee, help thee and cause thee to stand, Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.  

“The Northern soldier knew the hymn as one he had learned beside his mother’s knee. To the Southern soldier it was that and something more; it was the favorite hymn of General Robert E. Lee, and was sung at that great commander’s funeral.  

“Protestant and Catholic, North and South were singing together on Christmas day in the morning. Now that’s an American army!”  

Despite the fact that the lyricist of this hymn is unknown, the truth remains that for over 230 years How Firm a Foundation has brought comfort, encouragement, and even unity to countless Christian believers. 

 This hymn was sung at the death bed of President Andrew Jackson, and it was sung at the funerals of General Robert E. Lee, and US Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson.  

I have chosen to build my “house upon the rock,” that firm foundation of the Word of my lifelong hero, my Lord and Savior Jesus of Nazareth; the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God.  

I pray that you will choose to do the same. “…the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.”