Message from Pastor Kris

Psalm 18:30-32 As for God, his way is perfect: The LORD’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. (NIV)

It has been a tough week. COVID-19 has spread exponentially in our state and many others. More businesses have been closed by the state. As we stay home we realize what things we truly value in this world and the costs associated with them. We realize that we miss interacting with others; that six feet apart feels like miles. Social distancing comes at a cost that can’t be stopped with dollars.

After a particularly stressful day this week, I found myself humming a song I hadn’t thought of in years—probably at least twenty years in truth. Slowly throughout the day, I would remember a few more words that went with the tune. Finally, I open the web browser and typed in a phrase. The words came on the screen before me.

I Go to the Rock

Where do I go when there’s nobody else to turn to?
Who do I talk to when nobody wants to listen?
Who do I lean on when there’s no foundation stable?

I go to the rock
I know he’s able
I go to the rock

I go to the rock for my salvation
I go to the stone that the builders rejected
I run to the mountain and the mountain stands by me

When the Earth all around me is sinking sand
On Christ, the solid rock I stand
When I need a shelter, when I need a friend
I go to the rock

Where do I go, where do I go
When the storms of life are threatening?
Who do I turn to when those winds of sorrow blow?
And is there a refuge in the time of tribulation?

I go to the rock

I know He’s able
I go to the rock

(I’m not sure who wrote it but I remember hearing it on the Gaither show as a child.)

Of course, next, I had to click on the video with Larnell Harris singing on the Gaither show. I must have listened to it three times before the message sank in and took hold of me. God was reminding me that God alone is my rock and I needed to go to that solid, unshakable rock. I needed to pour my heart out and take shelter in the Lord and the Word.

Our world doesn’t feel very stable in the midst of this pandemic. We can stand firm in the shelter of our Lord. Always ready to hear before we are ready to pray. He is our foundation that will not fail us no matter what the world throws at us.

Lord, we thank you for being our rock that we can go to at all times. We thank you for the innovative ways you bring us to you—for a song long forgotten. We thank you for sheltering us from the storms. In the midst of this pandemic, tornados have torn across our state and our country. Politicians bicker about what should be done and by whom. You remain a solid foundation on which we can build our lives. Let us put all our trust in you, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

Grace & Peace to You!

Pastor Kris