“Eternal Rock of God Anchor Me” by Beth DeCristofaro

“Eternal Rock of God Anchor Me” by Beth DeCristofaro

Thursday of the First Week of Advent

Trust in the LORD forever! For the LORD is an eternal Rock.  (Isaiah 26:4)

Jesus said to his disciples: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. (Matthew 7:21)

Piety  

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.

(Psalm 118:1, 8-9)

Study

Jesus’ stern advice hits hard.  He illustrates the teaching with a story of the wise man whose house, built on rock, survives storms while the foolish man’s house, built on sand, does not.  In these days of global news, we watch way too often the graphic results of storm wreaking havoc among poor and rich alike all over the world.  Images show us the ravages of war, famine, tsunamis killing and maiming thousands.  Are they all foolish?  Some preachers would have us believe it is so.  Jesus, however, was offering a much deeper and more nuanced teaching.

only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven is a choice we make within our heart, listening and attending to the graces of the Spirit.  Jesus makes these graces available to us all but not all of us say “yes.”  Henri Nouwen explains that we have the opportunity to say “yes” every day but must make an effort to do so.  We must spend time with the Gospel and in prayer so that the Word becomes part of us not just some idea to be appreciated.[i]

As we view news coverage of villages swept down a mountain or charred and emptied by the fire we can only acknowledge deep in our hearts that human situation is built on sand.  Our eternal soul, however, is offered the opportunity and can be affixed to the LORD (who) is an eternal Rock.  By living in this trust when the soil of our lives is churned up or blasted away, we are clinging to the eternal, cared for by a loving God.

Action

How solid do my feet feel grounded on the Lord?  I can know this by His Fruits activated in my life rather than what I own or drive, or by titles and roles.  We sometimes judge that being grounded in God means holding our heads high in the face of tragedy but it can also mean being curled in a fetal position clinging to the cross of Christ, more intimate to his suffering than we believe we can take.  Dedicate time today to closely listen to the Word.  Let your inner life experience the Cross and the Rock of the eternal Lord, the only real reality.     

Illustration:  http://www.boardworld.com.au/forums/viewthread/1074

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[i] Advent and Christmas Wisdom from Henri Nouwen, A Redemptorist Pastoral Publication, Liguori Press, 1989, p. 8.