On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand,
all other ground is sinking sand.

Edward Mote 1834

Edward Mote was born near Upper Thames Street, London, England, on January 21, 1797. His parents managed a pub while Edward managed as well as he could, unsupervised on the streets of London. Growing up, he said that he was so ignorant, he did not know that there was a God. However, as a teenager, he heard the Good News of the Gospel at Tottenham Court Road Chapel while listening to the preaching of Rev. J. Hyatt. He committed his life to Christ, was baptized, and served God faithfully as a cabinet maker for thirty-seven years. One day, while walking to work, he was thinking about the gracious experience of being a Christian and the following words came to mind: "On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand." By the end of the day, he had been given the first four verses.

On the following Sunday afternoon, he was visiting someone who was very ill. He took a paper out of his pocket and sang the new song that God had given him. It was a blessing to all those who were present. So, he had the words printed and shared them with his community. Edward spent most of his life as a layman and in his 50's, he retired from cabinet making and spent the last years of his life as pastor of Rehoboth Baptist Church in Horsham.

The "solid Rock" and "sinking sand" refer to the parable of Christ found in Matthew chapter 7 and Luke chapter 6. The wise man builds his house upon solid rock. Luke 6:48 (KJV) says, "He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock." Notice that the wise person takes the time and effort to build a strong foundation. It says that he dug all the way down to solid rock and laid his foundation on something that could not be moved by any storm.

The Bible says all of creation will one day be shaken so that only that which is unshakable will remain. "²⁶Yet once more will I shake not the earth only, but also the heaven. ²⁷And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain" (Hebrew 12:26-27 KJV). In addition to the trials and storms we regularly face, this world is hurdling toward its eternal destination. We are seeing unprecedented rebellion, natural disasters, global unrest, and increasing violence. In a very short time, several fringe groups and smaller nations will unfortunately have almost unlimited destructive capability. Where is your foundation being laid as the world begins to shake?

I visited the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, where the massive Cape York Meteorite is on display. It is so heavy that steel supports go through the lower level of the museum and continue all the way down to bedrock. They were careful with the meteorite. We should be more careful with our eternal soul. What kind of foundation are you building upon? I'm not talking about joining some cult or seeking some kind of religious affiliation. Have you sought the solid Rock, Jesus Christ? Dig into God's Word and ask Him to speak to you. You don't need to join a club; you need to join Christ.

This solid Rock is treasured by many, but rejected by most. The Bible says Christ is the stone that was rejected. Isaiah 28:16 says God laid a stone in Zion, a precious stone, a tried and true stone, a sure foundation. It says that the ones who believe in the stone cannot be shaken, but the stone was rejected and became a stumbling block and offence to those who rebel against God. "⁷Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, ⁸And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed" (1 Peter 2:7-8 KJV).

Millions are building their lives on sinking sand. Notice that the word sinking contains sin and king. If sin is king in your life, you are sinking. It is foolish and reckless to build our lives on anything less than Christ. "²⁶And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: ²⁷And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it" (Matthew 7:26-27 KJV). Every cult, every counterfeit religion, every human philosophy, every rebellious attitude, every tradition of man, every idol, every saint, every statue, every program, every human leader, every ritual, every relic, and every possession, they are all sinking sand. Even friends and family that we love are all completely inadequate for our salvation. Christ is the only solid rock. All other ground is sinking sand.

At seventy-seven years of age, Edward went to be with Christ. On his departure, he said, "The truths I have preached I am now living upon, and they will do to die upon. Ah! The precious blood, which takes away all our sins. It is this, which makes peace with God.” Although we have all sinned and fallen short of God's holiness, by the grace of God we may stand faultless, clean, and holy before His throne. "⁸For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV).

When he shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in him be found,
dressed in his righteousness alone,
faultless to stand before God's throne.

Edward Mote 1834

The Bible says, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matthew 6:21 KJV). For Edward Mote, his treasure and his heart were in the right place. Compared to Christ, anything and everything is less. ALL other ground truly is sinking sand.

If the Spirit of God is speaking to you today, then today is your day of salvation. Second Corinthians 6:2 says that at just the right time, God heard you. If you cry out to God, He will hear you. On the day of salvation, He will help you. He will send the Holy Spirit to guide you and draw you to Him. Certainly, the "right time" is now. Today is the day of salvation! There is no guarantee of tomorrow. Your heart may become hard and your ears deaf to His call. Today, if you are fortunate enough to hear His voice, I urge you to say yes to Christ and His love.

You can experience a spiritual rebirth today. Romans 10:9 (KJV) says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

Will you pray today and begin your journey with Christ? “Lord Jesus, I confess with my mouth today that You are the only begotten Son of the living God. I repent and turn from my sins. I believe that You died on the cross to save me from my punishment and I receive You as Savior and Lord of my life. Please help me to grow in Your fellowship and serve You all the days of my life. I ask these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

If you prayed that prayer today from your heart, then you have become a child of God. You have been born again and your adventure with Christ begins. Read the Bible each day, beginning with the book of John. Talk to God each day and ask for His help. Find a church that loves Jesus, loves people, worships God with enthusiasm, and teaches the Bible. They will help and encourage you on your journey with Christ.