The promises of God are Yes and Amen in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:20). That foundation is one that is sturdy. It will hold us. It is not overwhelmed by the waves. The river may rage, but the bottom remains unchanged. We may feel like the billows go over our heads, but be of good cheer, our great foundation is good.

They then addressed themselves to the water; and entering, Christian began to sink. And crying out to his good friend, Hopeful, he said, “I sink in deep waters, the billows go over my head; all his waves go over me.” Then said the other, “Be of good cheer, my brother; I feel the bottom, and it is good.”
John Bunyan—The Pilgrim’s Progress

When we reach the day of our death, what will our response be? That day is coming, don’t doubt it. “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Heb 9:27). John Bunyan describes this day like crossing a great river. And like he wrote for Christian, for some, the waters of that river will seem deep and terrifying. I’d wager that for most, when we face the idea of our own mortality, we still feel the knee-jerk reaction to fear that old enemy. I’d like to think that I’d handle it better than others, but I know myself too well. I know that apart from the grace of God, I will tremble on that day. And if it weren’t for the strong hand of God that upholds me, I know that I could never make it safely over on my own. I want to highlight the encouragement that Hopeful gives to Christian in his hour of despair: “I feel the bottom, and it is good.”

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