? Rock of Ages, cleft for me…. ?
We feel safe when we’re standing on rock, don’t we? When the ground beneath our feet doesn’t move and shift like sand under retreating waves?
(Pssst, Faye? Can you say earthquake?)
Isaiah wrote that we can put our trust in God who is the ETERNAL Rock. The Rock of Ages. The never-shifting One.
We can feel safe as we stand on Him because He is firm, strong, and in control forever. Forever.
What does this notion of trust really mean? It means we commit ourselves to Him. It’s like looking at a chair and saying, “Hey, that chair is a really sturdy chair. It would hold up under anything” then sitting in it, committing all our weight and safety to it. We look at God, recognize His strength and sovereignty, then place ourselves in His care, committing our lives and wellbeing to Him.
We lean into Him. You know, when stress is overwhelming. When life is unbearable. When hard decisions need to be made. When what you see doesn’t match what you know in faith. We trust Him enough to lean on Him when the ground beneath us shifts and shakes, knowing that He is the strong and safe place for life.
We hope confidently in Him. This isn’t the “I hope I win this prize” kind of hope, it’s the “I have won Heaven” hope. It’s the “God is with me always” hope. It’s the knowing hope. Believing not only all the things God has said, but believing that He is who He says He is, that He will do what He says He will do, and that as believers we are secure in Him.
Our confident hope is spurred on by knowing that God is our fortress, shield, and banner. He is our fortress – our place of safety and protection as we rest and prepare. Our shield in every battle, protecting us as we advance on the enemy. Our banner that identifies us as His, letting the enemy know that we are with Him, protected by Him, and battling in His strength.
It’s good to remind ourselves of this Rock we stand on. The Truth for whom we live. It’s good to consider our trust and evaluate it. It’s good to determine if we’re living in safe mode or in advance mode, staying home safe and sound or willing to step out in that trust to grow the Kingdom of God on Earth.
C’mon! We have work to do!
Coffee, Bible, Journal.
