Daily Devotions

One of the most characteristic names by which God calls himself in the Old Testament is the “Rock.” This is because the Israelites were traditionally a people of the hills and not of the plains.

They found protection from their enemies among the rocks of the high places.

In the New Testament, it is Jesus who is specifically called the “Rock” (Matthew 7). Ultimately, he alone is solid, immovable, and trustworthy. Eugene Peterson in the Message paraphrase puts it this way, “These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.”

Building on rock is difficult, challenging and time-consuming. It may sometimes seem that our prayers are like that! If only we would allow God to take the time to set the solid foundation, to do the slow work of careful measuring as together we built what we gradually realise is something solid and dependable.

Think of coastal erosion, and you can picture a house gradually collapsing because it was built on sand. Foundations are weak. Soon it will disappear altogether. Jesus uses the everyday example of building on rock. The same is true for our decisions and purposes in life. If we build on the rock of finance, reputation, control, we can collapse. Love of God and love of neighbour are the rock of a life that is fully human, fully alive, fully Christ-like.

A sailor was shipwrecked and thrown onto a rock where he clung in great danger until the tide went down. Later a friend asked him, “Jim, didn’t you shake with fear when you were hanging on that rock?” “Yes, but the rock didn’t,”

May we sing with assurance;

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

On Christ the solid rock I stand

All other ground is sinking sand

All other ground is sinking sand. Amen