the rock won't move

Imagine it. You find yourself on top of a beautiful hill of sparkling sand that you piled together of dreams, desires, and hopes while overlooking the beautiful sea. As you stand there, your footing seems a little unstable, but you are still standing feeling as if can achieve anything and overcome everything with a victorious result. As sand crumbles and moves beneath your feet, you catch yourself and stand back up. You’re still standing strong. Then, out of nowhere, comes a light breeze, which quickly becomes a Chicago style, skirt raising, hair in your face sort of wind. By this point, not only are your feet sinking, but your body is swaying from side to side being tossed to and fro by the movement of the wind. You struggle to stand strong and steadfast. As you grasp around trying to help yourself, it becomes tiring and is starting to feel like an uphill battle. As you try to stand back up, the wind picks up. You look out. Huge waves are approaching. You don’t even have time to brace yourself. The waves come crashing in all around you. The strength of the storm is too much to bear. It not only wipes your hill to nothing, but now you find yourself gasping and trying to keep your head above the water. Your world, dreams, and desires are washing out to sea. The waves are all around you. It’s all you can see. Fear has not only crept in, but overtaken you. You look around. There is no one around to help you. You feel alone. Tears begin to stream from your eyes. You are desperate. Your body is losing strength. You are not sure how long you will be able to survive. It’s getting dark. As you try to stay afloat, your eyes catch a rocky shore in the distance. Your eyes look up and you find yourself pleading with everything that is left in you, “Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer, from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.”

Let’s stop our story right there.

We’re all fooling ourselves if we try to believe that we were never that person standing on the sand. The question isn’t whether you have found yourself in that place, but rather how long have you been trying to stand on a crumbly foundation? How many crashing waves is it going to take for you to realize that you cannot stand anymore on your own shaky foundation? The waves of financial instability, relationship issues, insecurities, medical news….the list could go on. It’s not “if”, it’s going to happen…it’s “when” it’s going to happen. We live in a sinful broken world that is decaying more each day.

I have been and at times continue with my struggle of trying to stand on my own foundation, that is only built of sand….or in other words, all the things that I find my identity in….my job, my appearance, my gifts and talents, my personality, my hopes, my dreams, my church, my friends and the people I know, and the opposite sex. Maybe you find yourself in the same place as me? Or maybe it’s something else? Name it. We want to be known and recognized. If you dig deep enough, you’ll find an area that you seem to cling to and find security in. We all do.

I had to learn the hard way this year. I had built my foundation alright, but not the way it was meant to be built. The waves of insecurities, heartbreak, health issues, fears, financial instability, weariness in ministry, anxiety, and depression came crashing in one after the other. I felt like I was being swallowed up whole and was going to drown. Darkness was hiding His face. I’m not even going to say that the waves are fully gone, but I found my eyes looking up to Heaven in my distress crying out,

“Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer, from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.”

I knew He was waiting for me.

Loved One….He heard. And He hears you. He did not let me continue sinking. He pulled me out with His great and mighty strong hands. He led me to the Rock that was greater. He not only led me there, but stood me up on the Rock. He whispered in my ear, “You are mine, because of what my Son did for you on the cross. I am enough. I am all you need. I am your salvation. I am never changing. I do not move. I am faithful. I will never leave you. And I…am your Rock.”

I stood up steadfast and strong on my Rock. When I stood up, the waves didn’t go away. They were still there, but this time, as they came crashing in. I didn’t slip or sink. When darkness seemed to hide Him, I rested on who He said He was and His promises. I looked out at the sea before me and could sing wholeheartedly, “On Christ the solid rock, I stand. All other ground is sinking sand. The Rock won’t move. And when darkness seems to hide His face, I rest on His unchanging grace. The Rock won’t move.”

You can sing that, too. Call out to Him. Surrender that shaky foundation that you find yourself trying to stand on. Stand on the Rock of Your Salvation, that is NEVER moving.

“There is none holy like the Lord; for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.” (1 Sam 2:22)