POWER OF THE BOULDER

"Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you what he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundations on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who has heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was very great" (Luke 6:46-49).

So how's your foundation holding up these days? Are your doors and windows opening properly? Are there gaps, leaks or cracks in the brick or mortar? I'm not a contractor, but I've learned a few things after living in 2 older homes.  And one thing I've discovered: foundation problems usually happen due to settlement or some kind of upheaval. Settlement means part of the foundation has dropped below where it was meant to be. And upheaval means it's risen above that starting place. Either way, a bad foundation can bring your entire house falling down around you. 

A strong foundation is a must if we want to withstand the many shifts in our journey with Christ. It doesn't matter what we look like on the outside: without a sturdy foundation, we're going to crumble in a crisis. If we try to muddle through without a firm foundation, any kind of conflict--a sudden loss in the family, poor health, or a damaged relationship-- will break down whatever we've built up. 

We've got to have a sheet of bedrock to hold onto when we face those upheavals. To endure the storms that beat against our house, we've got to dig deep into something more solid. The only solid foundation is found in Jesus. In the middle of any kind of storm, "the Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer" (Psalm 18:2). "Who is a rock, except our God?" (Psalm 18:31) The storms can beat against Jesus and He'll stand firm. He'll remain though the waves crash against Him in relentless fury. 

I remember seeing this for myself on a trip to Virginia. We were walking along a lovely sandy beach, hunting for rocks and shells. While enjoying the ocean's salty spray, we noticed a huge boulder not too far from shore. It stood as tall as a 2 story building, looking like an island in the middle of the sea. It was a windy day and the breakers beat and swelled around that rock. But it stood firm and tall.

How long had it stood there, I wondered. How long had it taken beating after beating? Sand and waves could not erode its strength. It kept standing in spite of wind and storm. And that made me think of Jesus. He is that boulder in my life. He's the only One who can take me through the trials and temptations that harass me. He's bigger than any storm I'll ever face.

Do you feel overwhelmed at times? Here's a prayer that can give us strength to hold on:

"From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter to me, a strong tower from the enemy" (Psalm 62:2-3). 

Have you climbed onto that Rock? We need to go higher than where we are so the floods can't wash us away. We won't lose our hope or peace if we head for higher ground. That's the place where we'll find strength and deliverance. And that means going to Jesus every day, to our unfailing Rock. "Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us" (Psalm 62:8). 

Whenever we are weak, Jesus is strong. We may not have any strength of our own, but if we hold onto Christ, we can be strong. Our strength is actually made perfect when we're at our lowest point.  It becomes complete when we depend on Jesus and His unfailing Word. And the reason is because Jesus says, "My grace is sufficient for you" (2 Corinthians 12:9). 

How is Christ's grace enough when we go through storms or when our foundation is shaking? God's grace is His power. And how much power does the Lord have? When Jesus sailed on a stormy sea in Galilee, the boat He was sleeping in was ready to go down. Many of the disciples like Peter and John were seasoned fishermen. They were probably muscle-bound fishermen; they were used to battling storms, rowing their boats to safety. But this storm was different! Nothing they did was working. No matter how hard they rowed or how much they bailed, they were still taking on more water and sinking. Terror gripped their hearts as the lightning flashed and the thunder roared. 

In their terror, they forgot who was in the boat with them. They forgot to flee to the Rock that was higher than the storm. But when lightning flashed, for one split moment, they were able to see Jesus sleeping. So they cried out, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" (Mark 4:39)

"As the disciples grasp their oars to make a last effort, Jesus rises. He stands in the midst of His disciples, while the tempest rages, the waves break over them, and the lightning illuminates His countenance. He lifts His hand, so often employed in deeds of mercy, and says to the angry sea, "Peace, be still"" (Desire of Ages, pg. 335). And immediately, the storm is gone. The waves sink below the water and the boat rests on a quiet sea. 

When Jesus met the fury of that storm, was He afraid? No. But not because He is God, not because He's the Master of wind and sea. Jesus had set that power aside when He became one of us, the Son of Man. Jesus says, "I can of Myself do nothing" (John 5:30). He turned to His Father when He faced that storm. God was our Savior's strength and power. "He trusted in the Father's might. It was in faith--faith in God's love and care--that Jesus rested, and the power of that word which stilled the storm was the power of God" (Desire of Ages, pg. 336).

That's the Power of the Boulder--the same power that's available to you and me. Is it enough to vanquish the fears in our life? To put to rest the worries that God won't be there for us? If Jesus is bigger than the winds and the waves, if He's stronger than disease or death, then He can handle it. He can handle any problem we'll ever face if we'll put our trust in Him and believe that He's our sufficiency (2 Corinthians 9:8).

"Through faith [God's people like you and me] subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong" (Hebrews 11:33-34). But their faith was not in themselves. I think they knew the truth of these words, "Without Me, you can do nothing" (John 15:5). But they also knew where the Rock was. And they turned to the Lord in faith, in prayer, and leaned with their whole weight on the word of God. For they knew "the grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever" (Isaiah 40:8).

Jesus is our Rock because of His unending love for us. Jesus is our Rock because His word is packed with life-changing power. To cling to His Word is to cling to Jesus and discover the Power of the Boulder. And the strength can be ours when we trust in His might to deliver us.

"Seek the Lord and His strength! 

Seek His face forevermore!" (1 Chronicles 16:11)