The Rock
A little over a week ago, I took four of my summer interns on a hike in the Santa Monica Mountains near Malibu and after we hiked for a few miles we decided to rest for a bit in an open area where we could look out at the valley below. We each found our own quiet spot and sat down to meditate in prayer, to read the Bible and journal if we wanted to. It was a time we thought would be helpful to clear our minds and listen to what God wanted to say to us.
After about ten minutes, I was not really getting anything. I could not silence the voice in my head reminding me of all the many things I needed to accomplish the rest of the day and the endless worries that I still was not done chewing on for a few more hours. My mind was full and there was no space to hear what God might say to me.
Finally, after about ten more minutes I began staring at a rock that was sitting next to me. It was not extremely large, but definitely had some character with red, yellow, brown and white spots on it. It looked worn and very old. In that moment, I felt something inside me say, "See this rock? It's been here since the moment I created the earth. You've only been here a short time compared to this rock and after you die, it will probably still be here. You are quite insignificant. The things you worry about are also insignificant. So why are you worried about so many temporary things? Only what you do for Me will last beyond your lifetime and beyond this rock."
As I sat there in the dirt absorbing this humbling thought, I swallowed my pride and thought, "Yes, Lord. You're totally right. I am so prideful and self-absorbed thinking that my life has so much significance and that somehow the earth will be shattered when I die. Nope, it will keep on spinning till You tell it to stop. Only what is done for You, Jesus, will last beyond my life and beyond my own significance."
The prophet Isaiah probably had similar thoughts thousands of years ago when God told him, "Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously. 'My thoughts are not your thoughts,' says the Lord. 'And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than yours and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts'" (Isaiah 55:6-9 NLT).
We are nothing. Without Jesus' blood that was shed for us at the cross, God would look at us as wretched sinners who would never stand a chance in His presence. But with Jesus and His forgiveness of our sins, God only sees the cleansing blood of Christ when He looks at us. Without the blood of Jesus and His redemption, we are nothing and truly insignificant. My plans, my schemes, my manipulation, my pride and anything that is based on my own personal gain will vanish into thin air. It won't last. But, loving someone when it's inconvenient, forgiving someone who's greatly hurt me or giving when I think I have nothing left to give all with the intention of showing them the love of Christ far outweighs anything I could do to promote ourselves.
I'm so glad that God used a simple rock to remind me of the real Rock, Jesus Christ, who needs to be the foundation of every decision I make. Let me ask you---Who or what dictates the decisions of your life? What motivates your daily purpose? Have you lost the eternal perspective for your life because you are too caught up in the daily tasks of your own plans?
Ponder the rock.
