I studied Geology in college, and to borrow a couple terms, I would say that we live in a time of great upheaval, with massive tectonic shifts of culture and erosion of traditional values. Many of the anchors that have given society its stability are crumbling. Anchors such as belief in God, truth, moral absolutes, freedom of speech and religion, two genders, the nuclear family, democracy, and the value of human life.
In Psalm 11:3 David asks, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Jesus answers that in Matthew 7:24-25.
“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.”
One cartoon I watched as a kid was The Flintstones, who lived in the town of “Bedrock.” Bedrock is the solid stone foundation beneath the unconsolidated soil. Engineers often pour footings down to the bedrock in unstable environments to build on. This is the picture that Jesus used when instructing us to consider what we are building our lives upon.
But what is this “rock” to which Jesus was referring? It is none other than God himself:
The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he. (Deut. 32:4)
This name of God (Tzur) occurs first in Exodus 17, where the Rock at Horeb was struck by Moses to provide water. So exclusive is the term in Hebrew, that no man is ever described by it in the Old Testament. 1 Corinthians 10:4 reveals that the Rock that Moses struck was actually symbolic of Christ being smitten on the cross. And instead of literal water gushing forth to satisfy the thirst of God’s people, rivers of living (spiritual) water resulted, thus satisfying the spiritual thirst of his people.
He is the rock upon which we can now stand, through all the storms of this life:
He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. (Psalm 40:2)
As we face the uncertainty of a new year, we can rest in the knowledge that God is still on the throne. His eye is not just on global events, but on the sparrow. He sat as King at the Flood (Psalm 29:10), and sits in control today. He will have his way. And he will be exalted:
Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! (Psalm 46:10)
He is our immovable, impregnable Rock of refuge, defense, security, stability, strength and support. Because of his loving care, we can experience perfect peace in 2021 and beyond.
– Perry
