The Solid Rock

For who is God except the LORD? 

Who but our God is a solid rock? 

Psalm 18:31 

Today, I thought of this old song that George Beverly Shea used to sing at the Billy Graham crusades. It seems so appropriate for times like these.

In times like these you need a Savior,
In times like these you need an anchor;
Be very sure, be very sure,
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

This Rock is Jesus, Yes He's the One,
This Rock is Jesus, the only One;
Be very sure, be very sure,
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

It is so good to know that when things are uncertain we can anchor our lives on the immovable, unshakable rock which is Christ. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

 Hebrews 13:5,8 

Listen to In Times Like These: 
 https://youtu.be/Lrs-lDkSnGc

Presents or Presence

It’s all about the presents!

When my children, Brian and Karen, were young their grandparents would make the 7 hour drive from Southern California to our home in Oakland to celebrate Christmas.  The kids would run excitedly out the front door as Grandma and Grandpa pulled up in the driveway in that big Ford LTD. Then, with great fanfare, the huge trunk would open stuffed to the gills with tons of beautifully wrapped boxes.  Wow! What fun and excitement as we carried all those presents into the house and placed them around the tree where they would spill out all over the floor.

The anticipation of opening all those presents brought joy to all of us, but was it really about the presents?  Why did Grandma and Grandpa make that trip? What did they really want? What they really wanted was our presence. They came all that way so that they could be with us, so that they could see the smiles on the grandchildren’s faces, so that we could all just be together.

It’s not just about the presents, it’s about the Presence!

God had that very same desire. We were so very far away, but he was willing to make that  long and costly trip because he so wanted to be with us and have the joy of bringing us gifts.

And, oh, the gifts he brought all beautifully wrapped in his love - the joy, peace, strength and calm assurance. Every good and perfect gift that we would ever need all wrapped up in his Presence. He smiles when we open the gifts he came so far to bring. It brings him great joy when we abide in him. He himself, is the very best gift of all. He, himself is that good and perfect gift that came down from heaven.

Lord, you extended and expended yourself to give us the gift of yourself and along with your presence every good and perfect gift that we will ever need. Let us open and receive those gifts today and especially enjoy your Presence this Christmas time.  Thank you for coming all that way and paying the price so that we can have the extreme joy of being with you.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down

from the Father of the heavenly lights.

James 1:17

God's Desires

If you need wisdom,

 ask our generous God, 

and he will give it to you. 

He will not rebuke you for asking.

 But when you ask him,

 be sure that your faith is in God alone.

 James 1:5,6

God has certain desires for his children. He wants to see us happy and fulfilled.  He wants us to prosper.  He wants us to experience his peace and rest.  He doesn't want us to be worried, harassed and frantic. He wants us to experience a sense of calm and security.

There are many things that try to rob us of these gifts. Sometimes, the stresses and strains of life cause us to look for relief in the wrong places, places that can never satisfy.  If we have a need, we should come to our generous God and ask.  He is the one who can give us all that we lack.  He wants us to come.  He wants us to ask.  He wants us to rest.  It is his joy, his good pleasure, to supply all of our needs.

What are you concerned about today?  Tell God about it.  He cares about you. He wants all of your needs to be supplied. He is not surprised by anything that has happened to you.  Put it into his hands and rest it there.

In God there is no hunger that needs to be filled,

 only plenteousness that desires to give.*

*C.S. Lewis (1996). “Joyful Christian”, p.195, Simon and Schuster ppl

The Joy of His Presence

For the joy that lay before him,

 he endured the cross,

 despising the shame,

 and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2 CSB

Let's take time today to rest in his presence.  In his presence is fullness of joy. 

Joy comes from relationship with God and others. Because God wanted to have the joy of our company, Jesus endured a painful death.  Now we have a place in his presence. 

Some days we feel far away because of fear or guilt. Yet, he is still the same.  He is still there. Oh, for the return of those days of blessedness when we feel his presence - the warmth, peace and calm assurance.  It makes it so much easier for us to give the gift of loving presence away to others when we are experiencing it ourselves.

Lord, thank you today for the gift of your presence, for the gift of communion and fellowship.  I am so happy that you want to be with me.

Today, even if I have feelings of guilt or fear, may I still acknowledge that you are here.  Set me free so that I may come again into your presence where I can experience full fellowship with you and give it away to others.  Amen.

You will show me the way of life,

granting me the joy of your presence 

and the pleasures of living with you forever.

Psalms 16:11 NLT

Hope for the New Year

He will feed his flock like a shepherd.

He will carry the lambs in his arms,

holding them close to his heart.

He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.

Isaiah 40:11

These are troubling times.  As we look far and wide we see war, hatred and destruction everywhere.  Even here at home there is division and strife. And in our own hearts, turmoil and distress.  Where is the peace that is promised?  Where can we find strength and hope to face this new year?

The answer is found only in Jesus. By his words he exhorts us, “Let not your heart be troubled." ”Be of good cheer I have overcome the world.” and “Fear not little flock.”  By these words he is encouraging us to trust in him. He said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.” And again, “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me.” (John 10:11,14) We can have great hope and assurance and find great comfort in the name he gave himself - Good Shepherd.  

Imagine what a good shepherd is like.  He is there every day tenderly watching over and caring for his flock and every night standing guard protecting them from harm.  He carefully and tenderly cares for his own.  He leads them to good pasture land. He knows each one by name. He is aware of their individual needs and idiosyncrasies.  He is ever vigilant to see that they are taken care of.  As they come through the gate of the sheepfold, he inspects each one to see if they are troubled by sores or injuries or pests.  He applies medicine as needed or binds up the wounds or puts ointment on the raw places. Would a good shepherd move away when the sheep are in distress or sick or hurt?  No! He sacrifices himself and does whatever is needed to meet their need. So is our good shepherd.  Ever watching to comfort and help us.

In the short six verses of Psalm 23 we see the promise of every human need supplied. Here there is rest in green pastures and peace beside quiet streams.  There is new strength for whatever the day may bring. There is guidance to make good and wise decisions.  There is protection.  There is comfort. There is sustenance (not just a meager supply, but a feast!)  There is the oil of joy and health.  And always there is companionship.  The psalmist concludes by saying his cup is overflowing with blessings.  He has everything he needs in abundance, more than enough.   

The shepherd's care is continuous.  He will never leave or forsake his own. No matter what circumstances or troubles we face ahead we know we can trust in him.   “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.”  (Isaiah 43:2)

You notice that the word is “when” you go through trouble, not “if”. He does not say we will be without conflict, strife and trouble but he has promised the overwhelming victory as we rest our hearts in him.  We know that in this life we will face trouble.  But along with the trouble we can be assured of his presence and of all that our good shepherd supplies.  We know that trouble will come, but we also know that God will provide what we need to weather the storm.  

As we face the New Year, we can be assured of his presence with us. He himself is our peace.  What do we have to fear?  Our Good Shepherd is in charge.  The circumstances may become more difficult but in the presence of our enemies he has prepared for us a feast of joy, peace and comfort.  Oh may we be partakers of that feast this year. He is our strong and beautiful shepherd and we are his precious possession. We can trust in him.

For he is our God.

We are the people he watches over,

the flock under his care.

 Psalm 95:7

He Came Down

 Though he was God,

he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.

 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges,

he took the humble position of a slave

and was born as a human being.

Phil. 2:6-7

Lourdes, France

I was awestruck by all the beautiful cathedrals we saw recently as we traveled in France and Spain -  such amazing buildings!  Each and every city or small town had its impressive cathedral or stone church at the center.   Many years of painstaking work went into the creation of each intricate detail all beautifully hand done by accomplished craftsmen. All the elements, the spires pointing upward, the domes and arches, the pillars and carvings were designed to point the heart heavenward, to create a place of worship to the high and exalted God. Unfortunately, the beautiful altars were inaccessible to the people. Only the privileged clergy were allowed to enter there.

Altar in the Mezquita, Cordoba

Now at Christmas, I am reminded of a more excellent place of worship - a wooden feeding trough where a tiny baby lay.  How different to look upon our mighty God in the form of a helpless infant - the exalted One come down in all weakness and frailty to make himself accessible to all.

This is the true place of worship.  In the cathedral our eyes and hearts are lifted to thoughts of heaven, but we can never reach the heights.  But here, at the manger, our eyes and hearts see a God who in his mercy has brought all his glories down to us .

Oh God, how we worship you this Christmas season. We kneel before the infant, the innocent lamb with praise and worship in our hearts knowing that when we could not reach you, you reached down to us and now you will never leave us. Thank you for coming down so that we could be lifted high to you.

Rescue

How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? 

James 4:14 (NLT) 

I was supposed to be extra careful. I told myself not to have any more falls after slipping and breaking my wrist on a muddy lake bank in Utah a few years ago. I guess this is a case of "never say never."  Watching the hikers walk jauntily on the rocks of the creek crossing ahead my first thought was, "That doesn't look good. Go for a safer route." Ignoring my wiser self, I plowed straight ahead, slipping, and falling hard on a big rock. I knew it was bad right away.


With the help of my friends, I was able to drag myself out of the creek and on to the bank. Two hikers ran off to get help.  As we waited, Kaydee encouraged me, sang a song of comfort over me and covered me with branches like a lean-to to keep the sun off.


Several hours later we heard the helicopter coming, circling around stirring up all kinds of debris, looking for a place to land. The medics arrived, stabilized me on a stretcher and carried me to the waiting chopper. At the trail head another helicopter was standing by to transport me on to the trauma center.  An x-ray revealed a broken femur near the hip.


We never know what each day may hold.  I started the day happy to be going on a hike with my friends and ended the day in the hospital awaiting surgery.  Not what I expected. We may plan our way, but things can change in an instant. But this we know, no matter what happens, God will be with us. He will provide runners to go for help, angels to sing songs over us, friends to stand by and rescuers to save us.  Even if we are all alone, he and his support team will be there for us. God says not to worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow is in his hands and he will be there for us, no matter what.

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, 

for tomorrow will bring its own worries. 

Today’s trouble is enough for today.

 Matthew 6:34 (NLT) 

Here's the song Kaydee sang over me:  Quiet My Mind, Mary Barrett

Pictures by Teri Ferro