Daily Devotionals

My Solid Rock

Posted in Wisdom

Scripture: “Everyone then who hears these words of Mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” – Matthew 7: 24-27

There are many challenges for us on this earth. One of the hardest for me personally is CHANGE. In just 10 years, there is so much change. Comparing photos from the past and present actually makes it obvious, and there is no way we can ignore it. 

I have photos of Pescadero State Beach in California from 10 years ago, and I snapped more pictures on a recent visit. It was shocking to see the difference in just a handful of years! On my first visit to Pescadero Beach, I was fascinated by the terrain and the rocks. I packed a few rocks that I collected and brought them home in my suitcase. This year when I returned to that area, it was profoundly different. I could not even get down to the rocks, and it was not just my body that had changed. The cliff had become treacherous, and the footing of the steps was very dangerous.  

The dream of “going back” was destined for a rude awakening. What I had once considered magically beautiful was now starkly a “No Admittance” zone. I should not have been surprised, since my life too has changed drastically over the years. Why shouldn’t everything around me have changed also? So I pulled my coat tighter around me and let the wind drive me back up these steps to the car.  

Conversely, I also have photos– 10 years apart –of the cypress trees on the Seventeen Mile Drive in California. You would be hard pressed to discern a difference in the cypress. They have remained unchanged. 

Even more than the cypress in California, one thing remains constant and never changes: God. God promises to never leave us, and he is faithful to his Word. 

How am I doing with changes around me? How are you doing with changes around you? 

The changes around me have spawned a daily habit of expecting that things will not be as I was used to. However, when I realize my foundation is God, who never changes, I feel like the famous cypress tree perched on the cliff. It is a comfort every day to know that I am safe and secure and provided for, as long as I remain grounded in my faith.  

As the old hymn* goes, “On Christ, the solid rock, I stand. All other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand.” 

I know for certain that God is in control of his Kingdom. The seasons and winds and storms are still there, but I will weather the changing situations in my life, because God makes it possible. He is steadfast and my rock.

We need not fear, even in our not being able to understand the many changes around us. Let God who is the giver of all good things be the One we look to for our support.

Prayer: Dear Father God, we trust in you and you alone to give us all that we need. Help us to stay awake and ready at all times for your Kingdom. Keep us grounded in your love and provisions and ever mindful of the changes in our lives that give glory to you. In Jesus’ holy name, Amen.  

Submitted by Chris Lawson

*Mote, Edward. “On Christ, the Solid Rock I Stand,” 1834