Jesus vs Dwayne Johnson, really?

If I said, “The Rock is going to be here in a few minutes,” would you expect to see Dwayne Johnson? Or if I said, “That floor is as solid as a rock,” would you expect it to feel strong and solid under your feet? If I said about a man, “He’s a Rock“, you would expect to see a man with ripped abs and big, muscled arms, right?

Tonight, two hymns were going through my mind, I closed my eyes and could see and hear my parents singing, it was so real that a tear fell over my lashes and onto my cheek as I listened to, “Oh Rock of Ages, hide Thou, me, there is no other refuge can save but Thee, through this old world I’ve wandered so far, far from Thee, then I cry Oh Rock of Ages, hide Thou me,”

I could hear my Mother singing the alto lead and daddy singing harmony… then I heard them singing “Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee, let the water and the blood, from Thy wounded side which flowed, be of sin the double cure, save from wrath and make me pure.” I knew there were many references to that word, rock, in the Bible so I looked and found 128 references to it.

I lay in my bed, which is on the top floor, and listened as the rain and wind whipped against my windows. On my right there are three windows, which let in the rays of the evening sun, and on my left two six-foot windows which allow the first rays of light to shine directly into my eyes of a morning. This is all pleasant when the weather is nice, but when the storms are raging, as they were earlier this week, listening as the tall trees to my right were swaying and scraping my windows, not so wonderful at all. I was wishing for a place to hide. I prayed and asked God to put a hedge around me, I thought of the illustration, I have heard about the bird safely tucked into her nest, which was built into the cleft of a rock, while the storm raged around her, and how the rock represented strength and protection.

Psalm 18:12 I love you, God—you make me strong. God is bedrock under my feet, the castle in which I live, my rescuing knight. My God—the high crag where I run for dear life, hiding behind the boulders, safe in the granite hideout. 

18:31 “For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a Rock, except our God?”

There are many Psalms that refer to God as our Rock, our defense and our salvation. Do you remember the little song we used to sing in Sunday school, “The wise man built his house upon the rock, and when the rains came down and the floods came up, the house on the Rock stood firm.”

It goes on to say, “The foolish man built his house upon the sands, and when the rains came down and the floods came up, his house came tumbling down”.

Another favorite hymn says, “How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in His excellent word! “

I know I am being redundant, but sometimes it takes repeating to really get into our Id, our inner man. In my life I have listened to people make promises to man and God, I have had many declarations of love and devotion to myself, but I have found that the promises of man are like the proverbial pie crust, they look nice but crumble with the first stick of the fork tines.

1Corinthians 10:4 For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. That Rock is still Christ.

“On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.”

Jesus made a promise to us that we can take to the bank…

Hebrews 13:5 He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” 

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. He is your Rock of salvation.

You have never been so evil that He won’t love you. When the thief, hanging next to Him on a cross said to Him, “Remember me when you come into your Kingdom“, Jesus answered, “Today you will be with me in Paradise”.

                             I choose Jesus over Dwayne Johnson any time to be my Rock…