“My hope is built on nothing less/Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness/I dare not trust the sweetest frame/But wholly lean on Jesus’ name/On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand. When darkness veils His lovely face/I’ll rest on His unchanging grace/In every high and stormy day/My anchor holds within the veil/On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.” (Traditional)
I hate to say it since I am a contemporary worship kind of guy (except for most songs from Hillsong, Elevation, and Bethel), but sometimes the old hymns have it all over the newbies. Whether it is sung in a more traditional way and setting or in a more uptempo style, there is not much more that can be said about what this song is teaching. In his devotion for today, April 17, Paul David Tripp wrote this:
Thankfully, God is not like me. Nothing can thwart His will, nothing can challenge His rule, and nothing can stop the march of His grand redemptive plan. The hope and spiritual security of every believer rest on the fact that our Lord cannot be stopped. His rules rules. (Everyday Gospel Devotional-p.133)
That first phrase strikes a chord in me. “God is not like me.” I cannot even find the words to express my joy in them, other than to say, “I am so-o-o-o-o glad He is not like me.” I make a mess enough of things without doing it on a grand scale. When I am faithless, He is faithful. When I am fearful, He is fearless. When I am blind, He is light. When I am wishy-washy, He is ever true. Nothing moves Him. Nothing overwhelms Him. Nothing overcomes Him. Nothing surprises Him. He never has to say, “Ooops.” He never has to say, “My bad.” He never does a face plant. He never slaps Himself on the forehead and says, “I should have had a V-8.” 🙂
God is always the same. He never changes. He never waffles. He never has to say, “I forgot about that.” God is my hope. God is my rock. God is never-changing. God is my firm foundation. (Check out this song). This Resurrection season I pray you know that truth because that truth is the anchor for our hope.
So very glad and grateful that God is God and I am not! And sometimes, those tried and true hymns convey messages that are deep, lasting and true. Any praise/worship music when it’s sincere is worth its weight in gold.
Blessings, Bill!
You said it right Martha. I’m glad and grateful God is God and I am not.
I think the Firm Foundation is the picture that I need to keep in my mind. Regardless of the chaos, regardless of the economy, regardless of the health of myself or those I love, regardless of the choices I make or the circumstances I find myself in, God is the Firm Foundation. If everything else is destroyed, if everything else falls apart. God already has a plan and has started rebuilding on His Foundation.
And THAT my friend, will, as they say, “Preach.” Christ is our firm foundation, the rock on which I stand/when everything around me is shaken, I’ve never been more glad to trust in Him.
I agree that some of the old hymns are really true jewels. I am so thankful that I gave my life to Christ. With God, life regardless of its ups and downs, and turns and twists, I am a part of an unshakable kingdom that will bring me home to an everlasting life with Christ. Without God, life would be an empty pursuit of never ending dead ends. I want to place all my trust and faith in a promise keeping, never changing God, that’s the rock I want to cling to.
I agree with you on some of the old hymns Gail. Great is Thy Faithfulness and When i Survey the Wondrous Cross are my two favorites. I’m with you and making my life count.