We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair – 2 Corinthians 4:8
“As you can see, the hardwood floors are all intact throughout the house, and the walls show no signs of damage or decay,” the realtor announced. “Yes, we can see. It’s well-preserved,” Martin said. “And that’s unusual for a house over a hundred years old,” Dolores commented. “I believe this is a perfect example of the expression ‘good bones’ when describing a property’s foundation. Don’t you agree, little lady?” the realtor asked the eight-year-old. “Yep, I do,” Carly answered. “Mom, Dad, maybe this was the house Pastor Wills was talking about in his sermon—the one that had good bones.”
While a commercial nearly a decade old from a popular car brand sought to prove its durability using dummy drivers to perform safety tests, there is an even more authentic and reliable demonstration. We need only look at what Job endured to describe someone with spiritually good bones. Because despite experiencing heart-wrenching losses, one after the other, along with the affliction of painful sores, Job’s foundation and his assurance in God did not fail. This finding was so significant that it was recorded: “In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly” (Job 1:22).
Just as a house doesn’t have to be structurally perfect to have good bones, neither do we as Christians. We need only have the kind of spiritual foundation where, when the storms of life come and leave their marks, they won’t be able to crush what’s holding us together.