Devotional Thoughts Based on the Glory to God Hymnal
Matthew 7:24
Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
I have heard about it for years and I have seen pictures of it, but I have never visited the location of this landmark. As widely traveled as many member and friends of this church are, I would suspect some here gazed upon this rock which is considered immovable. The landmark of which I am writing is “The Rock of Gibraltar”. While we know this landmark has been considered “immovable” or “impregnable”, we realize that is not true. There is One who is strong and invincible and that One is God.
The Psalmist has often referred to God as a rock.
To you, O Lord, I call; my rock do not refuse to hear me. (28:11)
God alone is my rock and salvation, my fortress; I shall never be shaken. (62:2)
O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. (95:1)
In the commentary on this hymn in Glory to God, we read: This hymn is a testimony to experience. The original seven stanza German text is based on Psalm 55:22 and its tune were created by the author/composer at the age of twenty in thanksgiving for finding employment many weeks after being left almost penniless following a robbery.
The scriptural allusion to this hymn is found in stanza 1: If thou but suffer God to guide thee, with hopeful heart through all thy ways, God will give strength, whate’er betide thee, to bear thee through the evil days; who trusts on God’s unchanging love, builds on the rock that naught can move.
Prayer
O God, at times we all have experienced being “at the end of our ropes”. You bid us to hang on, assuring us that You will not let us go. Thank you, Lord! Amen
