A Sure Foundation
The anticipation filled the car as we entered the national park, an unexpected oasis of nature nestled into the hill country of Texas. One of the highest vantage points in the state, Enchanted Rock promised to be a value packed hike with sweeping 360 degree views of land below.
We had just driven an hour on flat and winding asphalt with no ‘mountain’ in sight until a minute before the turn off. There it appeared stretching into the sky, a mound of pink granite. The four children bolted out of the car eager to get started on the 1,800 foot climb to the top.
Enchanted Rock National Park, Texas
Each year we vacation to Colorado, so hiking for them is associated with a cool mountain breeze and the winding tree-covered trails of the Rockies. This was different.
In addition to the sun-soaked treeless trail, the path didn’t meander along with dirt underfoot. On the contrary, the path of this particular hike led straight up a mountain of pure, solid rock. They could hardly believe it.
Where did this come from? How long did it take for it to form? Is this a sedimentary, igneous or metamorphic rock formation? You know I had to sneak in some educational discussion. (The answer is igneous)
With each step, I noticed my gaze staring in astonishment at my feet rather than the summit. This entire mountain (a Texas mountain) is one big rock. A rock!
After victoriously reaching the summit and snapping several dozen pictures, I happened to glance over to this intriguing smaller rock formation, delicately balanced yet securely fastened on one side. The trees from my vantage point formed a perfect picture frame of focus.
Enchanted Rock, Texas
Each of my kids went over and tried to loosen this dangling boulder with both will power and physical strength. Of course it wouldn’t even budge.
How long will it take for this boulder to be loosened enough to roll down one side of this granite hill?
How long has it been nestled onto this declining slope?
The questions kept coming. We sat as a family admiring the strength of this hardened magma and all I could think about is that this is the kind of foundation I want my life built upon. This is the kind of foundation I want my kids to build their lives upon: a foundation that stands firm even when the sun is beating incessantly down upon their weary journeys. The kind of foundation that can still support when every comfort is stripped, every rational thought taken, every dollar lost. The kind of foundation that withstands erosion from the harshest storm.
Perhaps you, like me, feel the erosion of life. A trying season with a newborn or toddler or teenager, take your pick. A death of a loved one that sneaks up so suddenly and chokes the joy of life right out. A move, a job change, a temporary closure that sends the mind spinning in all directions of unknowns. My life is constantly being eroded by sin, by pain, by unknowns, by words, by comparison, by expectations, by juggling all the things, by mere exhaustion. I can feel it; the lines of erosion are forming more visibly each added year.
As the tears continue to fall, I become keenly aware that if my life was built on sand, it would have been swept away completely at this point. At times I have wondered. In those seasons and even now, I hold tightly to two things:
There is One who promises to be the Rock for me.
Therefore, I don’t have to be the rock.
“For I will proclaim the name of the Lord;
ascribe greatness to our God!
The Rock, his work is perfect,
for all his ways are justice.
A God of faithfulness and without iniquity,
just and upright is he.” (Deuteronomy 32:3-4 ESV)
A rock shows signs of life, yes, but it is not easily swept away. It is cannot be moved. It may be propped up in mid-air in a delicate balance, but it is not fragile.
The rock is sturdy. It is solid. It is secure.
Not only is God my rock, he is a God of justice. He is a faithful God. He is a great God. He is without sin. He doesn’t make mistakes. His plans are for you. His work is perfect.
I realize that most of my exhaustion in life comes from trying to be strong enough for myself and everyone around me. The beautiful thing about believing in a God who is big enough to be your rock is that he is also big enough to carry that weight for you.
Will you let him this week? Will you consider anchoring your life to the One who promises to be a sure foundation?
“But the Master, God, has something to say to this:
Watch closely. I’m laying a foundation in Zion,
a solid granite foundation, squared and true.
And this is the meaning of the stone:
a trusting life won’t topple.”Isaiah 28:16-17 The Message
He is a sure foundation for your life.
He is a sure foundation for your family.
He is a sure foundation for all seasons.
Selah.