The Sheltering Rock
This story recently came to my attention: In Yosemite Valley, California one of the peaks of the Sierra Nevada's leans over, sheltering a valley 3600 feet below. Several decades ago the jarring of slight earthquake shocks in the Sierras precipitated the falling of rocks down the mountain sides. The lives of miners who worked in the area were greatly endangered. The men took shelter under the great El Capitan peak thinking that if it were to fall surely the whole world would be at its end. Their confidence was not misplaced for this huge mass of granite had its foundation in the depths of the great mountain that would not be shaken. The men found rest and protection in the shelter of the rock, in the shadow of that lofty peak.
Well, "there stands a Rock on shores of time that rears to heav'n its head sublime," in which people can take spiritual refuge. Jesus Christ is likened unto a Rock to teach us that he is steadfast and immovable. Though the oceans of error be in a continual fluctuation, and the wisdom of men in a perpetual dilemma, the wisdom of God stands firm to protect, to deliver, to save. The preaching of the cross is foolishness to them that would live to themselves, without respect for the power, blessedness, wisdom and glory of God. These are willing to risk being led into destruction by the destroying ways of the world. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life soon overtake them and they tumble inevitably into the crevice of eternal damnation. But for those who will take shelter under Christ, putting their confidence in His mightiness, safety is their reward.
The boulders that threaten the lives of every individual that might be situated in their paths are modernism, liberalism, radicalism, skepticism and worldly-ism. We live in a world with these dangers, we cannot close our eyes to these rolling forces of evil and expect to be saved from them. The old devil is the earthquaking force that sends these boulders tumbling down through the valleys of finite activity. He aims them toward the weakest areas — at the universities where the youthful, untrained and unanchored mind seeks the answer to life, to success, to happiness — at the areas of entertainment where the minds of the masses are open to accept that which they can do with a clear conscience — at the circles of religious thinking both in and out of the church where weaklings are open minded toward innovation, digression and departure.
The duty of God-fearing Christians is to preach safety in Christ. Take shelter in the shadow of the cross — respect the authority of Christ in matters of church worship, doctrine, work and in the daily living of the Christian individual.