Where is truth found? Is it in the textbooks of universities, or the experiments of scientists? Is it in the ruling of courts and the doctrines of men? Where is it found when your world falls apart? When the storm presses in and the sea rages around, everything thing churns, flips, spins, shifts. Is there an absolute, anything solid to cling to? All beliefs, hopes, securities are but the railing of the ship, a ship that spins like a top. There is no end to the raging monster tossing it around, the sea of life consumes it. Is there a rock jutting up towards the sky? Is there solid ground in this expanse of water? There must be! Because those who have gone before say that there is. Their story tells us that the Rock offers refuge, relief from battling the sea. They say it is worth fighting the storm so that on the other side you can cherish the Rock of Protection. Without the storm as a contrast, you would not know the peace found in standing firm. The battles of life are worth it because when you find the place of peace, the Rock of Salvation, then you will know what it means to be protected and the power of Him who saves you. He is the only One that makes sense in the darkest storms. So fight. Fight hard towards the Rock, battle the storm until God gives you the peace of finding that He is your Refuge and you cannot be moved.
“I will love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust… I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies… In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry came before Him, even to His ears… He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters… The Lord was my support. He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me… The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted.” Psalm 18
I wrote this out of tears and a heart breaking for so many of my friends. It’s disillusioning to see those you love in the middle of a storm and not know how to help them. I watched this movie tonight about a fishing ship caught in the middle of a hurricane. The boat was tossed and turned until you hardly knew which way was up. Everything spun and nothing was stable. The imagery is perfect for what I see my friends going through. I want to help people in that situation, some how to point them towards the solid ground. But I’m just beginning to find it in my own storms. All I can do is write and proclaim that Jesus is the only solid ground.
