How God, Our Strength, Makes Us Strong.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

I took this photo while visiting Lake Tahoe in the fall. What interested me the most was that, although the water was completely calm while we were there, these rocks showed evidence they’d experienced rougher weather. Stones do not become rounded and smooth by sitting all day undisturbed in the sunshine. These rocks had likely weathered many storms over the years.

Yet here they are stacked up together, offering peace to anyone who spends time contemplating them. Later in the trip I experienced a small storm. The waves of this calm lake became harsh and menacing. I had the opportunity to see the turmoil these rocks experienced year after year, as wave upon wave struck them. Though the storm caused the water to strike these stones relentlessly, they remained where they were, withstanding the attacks.

Now while looking back at this picture of these stones, I realize that the storms have changed them in interesting ways. Their rounded edges make them seem softer, and add to that feeling of peace. It also makes it more difficult for the wind and the waves to erode them further. The wind and waves pass over them easily. No longer are there sharp edges that will wear down or be torn away. This is why they seem so serene.

“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.
 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies.
Psalm 18:1-3 New American Standard Bible

I love that throughout His Word, God is referred to as our rock, our stronghold, and our fortress. He offers the strength, peace, and safety we see in these stones. At the same time, God does not simply endure the storm, He is in charge of it. When we cling to Him during the storm, while waves wash over us, He changes us until we too can endure the wind and waves with patience and peace. Praise be to God!

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, CO