Standing on Christ the Solid Rock
By Emily Rose Massey
“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” (Matthew 7:24-25, ESV).
My husband recently attended a conference that was specifically for pastors and leaders in the local church. Over 3,000 men were gathered in the sanctuary worshiping the Lord in song and learning from some of the best expositors of God’s Word. I was thankful to be able to watch the sessions via Livestream. Hearing thousands of men lift their voices in song, worshipping our King was incredibly beautiful! The lyrics of one of the songs sung at the conference have stayed with me, and I can’t keep myself from singing the chorus: “You’re my solid Rock, my firm foundation. My steadfast hope that won’t be shaken. My soul will wait. My soul will wait for You.” These lyrics remind me of some wonderful truths from our Lord in Matthew as he finished the Sermon on the Mount:
“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” (Matthew 7:24-25, ESV).
Although Christ does not specifically call Himself the rock here, we know those who follow and obey His commands, trust Him and build their life upon Him alone. Like a large rock, we know Christ is immovable. He is strong, secure, faithful, consistent, and reliable. We also know that building our life upon Christ does not mean we are exempt from the storms of life; It simply means that when we face storms and trials, we do not have to face them alone. The Lord will strengthen us to endure them. In Christ, we receive a grace that sustains us no matter how hard the wind blows. In Christ, our life will not crumble because He fills our hearts with a steadfast hope of the glory that awaits us in eternity. We must seek to cling to His words are spirit and life (John 6:63).
Intersecting Faith and Life:
Christ is the Word made flesh. The Word of God is so powerful; the more we study and meditate upon it, the more our foundation will be strong in Christ, and we will continually know how to look to Him whenever the chaos and trials of this life try to overtake us. Let us always be quick to ask the Lord for His sustaining grace and help in our time of need, looking to Him always because He cares for us. No matter what is going on around us, even if it seems like everything is crashing down on us, we must remember God holds the entire universe in His hands. He is completely sovereign. Nothing passes through His hands by accident. He is in total control and has a great plan regarding all of it.
Jesus Christ, our rock, is our firm foundation when the ground beneath our feet feels shaky. We can run to Him for safety and trust that when the waves crash in around us, He gives us strength to stand strong in faith, filled with a hope the world cannot give us. Our hope should be built on Christ, our Solid Rock, the anchor of our soul, the only security we have in this life because security in Him is eternal. Our health and finances may be taken from us. Our relationships may dwindle and fall apart. No matter what happens, life in Him can never be taken away from us.
When this is all over, He is the only One who can save us from the curse of sin and death. We must keep the truth close to our hearts that we are forgiven and justified in Him before a Holy God. In Him, we stand faultless before the throne of judgment that awaits us all one day. The hope of eternity in His presence should be the anchor in the storms of life. The only real hope we can stand upon is eternal life found in Jesus Christ. On Christ, the solid rock, by God’s grace, chooses to stand. All other ground is sinking sand.
Further Reading:
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images / Den Belitsky
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