A Big Solid Rock
I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. Psalm 40:1-3 (NIV)For many summers our family camped between Little Tunk and Big Tunk Lakes in Maine. One childhood memory from swimming at Little Tunk Lake was that there were places near the shore where it was sandy, mucky, or rocky. The beach sand was the most comfortable and easy to walk on. However, if we swam a short distance from shore and tried to stand, the bottom turned from sandy to mucky. We never knew how deep the mud was or if we would stub our toes on a stick or other object lurking within the muddy layer. In one area, a series of big, solid rocks provided us with a sense of relief because we could keep our feet off the mucky bottom and rest with our head above water until we were able to reach shore again.
It is easy to get mired in the muck of the world when we face what appears to be daunting decisions or tasks. Instead of flailing around looking for relief within the muck, remember that you are less than a step, or hand, away from a nice big solid rock, the Lord. The exciting thing is that there is plenty of room on the rock, and He knows where all the best places to stand are located. All you need to do is to take His hands and let Him place you on the firm ground.
Lord, thank you for being a big, solid rock for us all to stand on. Help us to stand on You today so that we may reach out to help others out of the muck and place their trust in You. Amen.
By Todd (California, USA)
