I’d rather be outside than inside any day, especially to write and spend time in God’s Word. I love that I get to do that in the beautiful yard my husband cultivated for almost two decades. The oaks and pines now tower overhead with beautiful shaded areas—perfect places to read and write.

A few weeks ago, I walked to the back of our yard to sit on a bench underneath the trees. As I walked, I noticed the ground was soft in a few places—very soft. With every step, the grass began to shift, and I sank into the soil.  The once firm foundation of grass and dirt was now squishy. Am I standing on a sinkhole? Is my whole yard about to cave in? Although each leg of the bench sat on top of a rock, I dared not sit on shifting ground.

We discovered our problem wasn’t a sinkhole underneath but rather a well-crafted tunnel system built by enemies. Yep, we had a mole problem. The soft dirt was not the only telltale sign. The little mounds popping up throughout our once beautiful lawn were another indication these critters were taking over. The most substantial piece of evidence, though, was seeing a mole between my dog’s paws.

Moles are expert diggers. Their paddle-like front feet, equipped with bear claws, allow them to dig as fast as twelve inches a minute. Their permanent real estate is forty inches under the grass where they nest and raise their baby monsters. Once they move in, they don’t readily pack up and move out. Moles rely on their sense of smell through their long snouts to sniff out grub worms, crickets, and ants—pests that enticed them to move in. Don’t let those cute mole images on the internet fool you. Unlike the sweet little cotton tails trapesing across your lawn at sunset, moles are five inches of pure beast and will devour your yard.

After walking back onto the porch, I realized the shifting sand beneath my feet felt a lot like the kind of year I’d had.

My firm foundation that had weathered storms before became soft and moveable.

I wondered how I could reconcile this year with Jesus’ teachings on building a firm foundation when parts of my life seemed to be crashing down.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash” (Matt 7:24-27 NIV).

I had built my faith on the Rock, hadn’t I? Our park bench sat on rocks, but the moles loosened the soil below, and eventually it fell over. On such shaky ground, would that be my plight too? Circumstances beyond my control almost knocked me off my feet. However, it wasn’t just the situation I faced but my response to it. Praying, lamenting, and searching Scripture for answers were all appropriate reactions, but that wasn’t my response every day throughout this challenging year.

Peter warns us to “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Pet 5:8 NLT). But just like the ants and grub worms under the soil enticed the bigger enemy to move in, I was not quick to exterminate seemingly little sins. Therefore, more destructive sins followed.

We think we can pat down the mole hills to frustrate their digging, but they will just build new tunnels. We gently pat down our issues and sins, hoping no one will notice, only to see mounds of messes everywhere. As Paul encourages, “You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you” (Gal 5:7-8 NIV). If I ignore the sin in my life, my mind will be led astray by my once sincere and pure devotion to Christ (2 Cor 11:3).

The most effective way to get rid of moles is to set traps. I wish conquering sin was as easy as winning a game of Whack-A-Mole. The best defense is a good offense, which is why we are instructed to put on—and keep on—the whole armor of God to combat the devil’s schemes. If I’m unprepared, I will get ambushed.

The enemy tried to get between me and my Rock—he started with a heartbreaking circumstance out of my control and then tempted me to harbor anger over the situation. This led to entitlement for how I felt it should have turned out. I grew weary and impatient in crying out to God and lamenting what should have been. My heart was being led astray.  

On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand is one of my favorite hymns. It encourages me to cling to Jesus, my solid Rock.

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name

When darkness veils His lovely face, I’ll rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale my anchor holds within the veil

When He shall come with trumpet sound, Oh, may I then in Him be found
Dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne

On Christ the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand

I don’t know what you might be facing today—an illness, relationship strife, or a particular temptation that’s getting the better of you. Or maybe it’s an issue entirely out of your control eating at your soul little by little. Even though you may be shaken and feel you are sinking on shifting sand, God has not abandoned you. He is still your solid Rock and firm foundation. His grace is unchanging. He will hold you.

When you feel as though you can’t stand, cling.

• Cling to the Word of God and plant your feet firmly on God’s promises. Begin and end your day in Scripture. Some nights I even leave my Bible open to a passage next to me on my bed as I sleep. If I wake up in the middle of the night, I turn on the lamp, reread it, pray, and go back to sleep.

• Cling to a heart of confession and repentance. God is faithful to forgive us of all our sins, and His mercies are new every morning. When we confess and repent, we experience His mercy and restoration.
• Cling to a heart of humility and submission. God is in control and we are not. He knows what He’s doing, even if we can’t see it or it doesn’t make sense. Submission to God comes before resisting the enemy. When we submit to God and resist the devil, the enemy will flee.
• Cling to a trusted community of friends. When you are too weak to fight, call upon friends to pray and battle on your behalf.
• Cling to a heart of praise. Do this even when God doesn’t intervene as you think He should. Music ministers to me when it’s filled with the truth of God’s Word. As I listen and sing, I’m meditating on what my heart and mind need to hear. The Holy Spirit often brings it up in my thoughts randomly as though God is singing His truth over me.
• Cling to God’s faithfulness. He will not only rescue you from every evil attack, but He will be with you in the battle and He will fight for you. He is faithful to complete His work in you and in your circumstances.
• Cling to God’s grace. His grace saved you, and His grace will keep you.

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 18:2