On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand & other random thoughts

We sang that hymn today "On Christ the Solid Rock".
On Christ the Solid Rock, I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand.

I forgot how much I loved that hymn. It reminds me of a passage of Scripture that I fell in love with a couple of years ago. It's an oldie, but goodie as they say - part of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus said:
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

I love the word pictures this gives. The strength of the rock, the foundation. No matter what battered it, the house remained standing. It was impenetrable. It was resolute. There was a surety for the wise man of safety, shelter, protection, and steadfastness. I need all of those things in my life. God provides all of it, if I seek Him for it. "Ask, seek, knock" is a passage earlier in chapter 7. God is available if we go to Him, admit His authority/Kingship, and our humble, desperate need of Him in our lives.

I feel like this passage is an accurate description of where I am in my life and my relationship with Jesus right now. I have 2 kids. LJ was very high maintenance last year, while I also gave birth to JD. I feel like the storms tossed me around, overwhelmed me at times, but in the end, I just crouched down close to the Rock (Jesus Christ), hung tight, sought His comfort and wisdom, and the winds finally blowed over me. Now, I can't take any credit for the crouching close to Jesus. I have been walking with God, His Spirit in me, for a long, long time. I have done my own share of straying, doubting, ignoring His presence, but He has not left my side. I think sometimes His Spirit gives me such grace, in that He doesn't let me stray that far in the first place, and that's just part of His plan for me. He is always there when I come back. He has been, without a doubt, my Rock in life. And maybe He does that, just to encourage others that He is real and involved in the details of our lives.

I am not generally a worrier. I think that bothers, or maybe just baffles, some people. But I just have gotten to the point where, if God is who He says He is, if He is all-powerful, all-knowing, than what can little ol' me do to change things that He's got under control? That's not to say that I don't take precautions, I don't try to think things through, or I get careless; but I don't want the burden of worrying. I've got plenty of other burdens I choose to carry instead of give over to the Lord like I should.

But I tangent. Our church celebrated their 5 year anniversary today. They had a video of several members telling what the church had meant to them, after Harrison taught on Acts 2, which is a passage describing what the first New Testament church looked like.

"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Acts 2:42-47

The testimonies revealed that we definitely "gave to anyone as he had need", and that God has added to our number through the authenticity of simple families living for Him. Several testimonies were of changed lives, changed relationships, and it wasn't the just stand up and say what you like about such and such ministry. These people found a God who is loving, and whose grace covers all of their sin. A God who is so amazing, they are just now experiencing what unconditional love is. And what is grace? Grace is undeserved favor. Undeserved mercy. God reached down to us, loved us enough to sacrifice His Son to death on a cross, and conquered death (O death, where is thy sting? Hosea 13:14) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That victory over death, THAT is what gives me hope, shows me love. Because I can believe in a God who is that BIG, that POWERFUL. That is the Solid Rock on which I stand, and releases me from all fear. I guess, through the testimonies of these sweet men and women, I saw for a moment how desperate they had been for hope and mercy and grace and love in their lives. I haven't known that kind of desperation, not really. I have been told how great (as in powerful) and loving God is for as long as I can remember. And this morning, my eyes were opened as I saw the healing power of Jesus Christ. It was like seeing a life-saving surgery - they were dying (spiritually), and Jesus healed them, gave them the hope and love we all need, and changed their life. I am so glad that they found the Foundation that will hold them up. It is so easy to build our homes on sand, to crash (don't I crash every day?) and let the storms overtake us. But there is a way that is less overwhelming. We don't have to do it ourselves. And that is the big lie in this world - that God doesn't care, and so it's all up to us.

So back to the 2 kids thing. With 2 kids, I've quite quickly discovered (as they are still quite young), I can't do it. I'm a perfectionist. I've already failed my kids a thousand times (um, my husband of 7 years can probably pipe in here that I was failing long before kids). And can I tell you, it is such a relief to let it all go? To let my burden of raising kids "right" (whatever that is) and trust God that He will compensate for my weakness. "But [God] said to me, ' My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

This doesn't mean I slack off, and don't try to discipline my kids, or give them safe boundaries, or feed them healthy food. It just means that I can live in freedom. "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Jesus, Matthew 11:30)

I don't know about you, but I keep our life pretty simple, and I still need an easy yoke and a light burden. Life is too hard trying to carry the load all by myself.