Rock of Ages

I think it to be true that everybody wants stability and assurance.  We sang "Rock of Ages" in church this morning, and it sure got me thinking about those things.  Everybody wants things that will last and be stable.  Whether it's a new car or job or a relationship.  We want to be assured that what we invest in will not break down or disappear.  Eventually, cars and material things wear and break.  (Except for this one car I used to drive "Sunburn", it just seems to keep going...) But, the point is that we all want to have things in our life that build stability.  

Jesus is referred to in the Bible as a "Rock".  He will not change and will never leave you.

Psalm 18:1,2,36

"I love you, O Lord, my strength.  The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."

We can have STABILITY in our lives through a relationship with Jesus : "I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry.  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."  There is peace in Jesus.  There is hope that is REAL in Jesus.  But you can't have that if you don't have Jesus.

Romans 3:23 says, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." We are all sinners and can never be perfect.  There was One who was born on this earth who was perfect, and that was Jesus.  Someone had to die to pay the debt of our sin, and that was Jesus, God's Son.  The Bible says in 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  

And then, Romans 10:9 "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."  

So, if you 1. Confess your sin to God 2. Ask for forgiveness and 3. Believe in Jesus, then Jesus will be YOUR Rock and source of stability! He is ready and waiting for you to let Him love you.  Zephaniah 3:17, "The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing."

Rock of Ages

There is no rock 

There is no god like our God

No other name, worthy of all our praise

The Rock of Salvation that cannot be moved

He's proven himself to be faithful and true

There is no rock

There is no god like ours

Rock of Ages 

Jesus is the Rock

Rock of Ages

Jesus is the Rock

Rock of Ages 

Jesus is the Rock

There is no rock

There is no god like ours

Rock of Ages

Jesus You're the Rock

There is no rock 

There is no god like ours

Rock of Ages

Kids say the darnedest things!

Compliment from one of my students:

-"Ms. Renae, you look like a grandpa!!"  

-"Thank you, Andy."

:)

TV

-"Ms. Renae, the tv on top in my house is 6 feet pounds." 

-"I think you mean that it is 6 feet high."

-"No, Ms. Renae.  It is 6 feet pounds."

Super Bowl part-ay

Adonai

"Adonai" (ah-doh-noi) is a Hebrew word for "Lord" or "my lord".  It was a title of reverence for God.  The Jews used its vowel points to fill out the tetragrammaton Yhvh or Ihvh, "the incommunicable name" (Yahweh).   They would use Adonai in substitution with Yahweh because of the holiness of the name.  

"Praise Adonai" - Paul Baloche

Who is like Him

The Lion and the Lamb

Seated on the throne

Mountains bow down

Every ocean roars

To the Lord of hosts

Praise Adonai

From the rising of the sun

'Til the end of every day

Praise Adonai

All the nations of the earth

All the angels and the saints 

Sing praise

--------------------------------------

I first heard this song back in high school at my home church.  I hadn't heard it for a few years until I heard it at a friend's house last weekend.   The reason for the use of the name Adonai strikes me with humility.  In American culture, I don't think we have much understanding of the word, "reverence".  God is to be revered as holy.  He IS Holy.  I think I need to get on my knees or even have my face to the ground quite a bit more than I do.  God is WORTHY of praise for His Holiness.   

A proverb

"Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, 

but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy."

Proverbs 28:13 

Drying up

In Sunday school this morning, we studied Psalm 1 : 

1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, 

Nor stand in the path of sinners,

Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

2 But his delight is in the instruction of the LORD,

And in His law he meditates day and night.

3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,

Which yields its fruit in its season

And its' leaf does not wither;

And in whatever he does, he prospers.

4 The wicked are not so,

But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement,

Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,

But the way of the wicked will perish.

Verses 1 and 2 describe a person who loves God, and how their life would look if he were to delight in God's Word.

Verse 3 describes the person who CONTINUALLY read's God's Word as a tree.  They are firmly planted.  They will yield fruit - you will be able to see good product in this person in result of them reading God's Word.  They will not dry up and be weak.  They will be growing and strong, instead.  This person, in whatever they do will prosper...because they are meditating and dwelling on things that are "true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything is worthy of praise".  (Philippians, 4:8).  

It goes on to describe someone who does not delight in the truth of God's Word.  These verses call these people "wicked".  Honestly, as I read scripture that describes the "wicked", I usually tend to skim over it.  When I think of someone who is wicked, it tends to be someone who kills people, and is a "bad" person.  But, as I have read this passage a bit more carefully and more closely, I have come to some new realizations in how it applies directly to me!  When I have chosen to live my life for myself and by my desires, I have been a "wicked" person.  "The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away."  The wicked are not firmly planted, but without a source of nourishment.  They daily waste away, not producing any fruit.  They do not proper, but rather they perish!  That has definitely been myself many a time in my life.  

I don't desire to put the focus on what I have not been, but I just desire to share this because I think we need to stop daily and look at what we are delighting in.  What are we spending time dwelling on throughout the day?  Are we delighting in real truth (of God's Holy Word that He wrote for us to grow for His glory and eternal kingdom??) or in things that are not for the purpose of the glory of God?  Is there fruit in our lives??  Let's not be too quick to think we are prosperous.  

"How BLESSED is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked..."

God is waiting to bless us!