When Rocks Lie Uncovered

When Rocks Lie Uncovered

Joshua 4:20 “And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.”

Exodus 14:22 “And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.”

Luke 9:29 “And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.”

Judges 16:30 “And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.”

     Faith in action.  Like riding the wave.  The timing is crucial to mount the board, balance it underneath, and point the tip down the sloping water.  A certain onrush of adrenaline in a precarious moment for the surfer does not know the outcome.  Olympic downhill skiers jump out of the gate.  They know the course ahead of them.  They differ from surfing. Control is in their poles.  NASCAR drivers wait for the green before accelerating into competition.  The track ahead of them is long, but none-the-less, they start.

     God provides a way for those willing to partner with Him.  Faith without works is dead.  Faith mingled with works is powerful.

      He calls us to task.  In other words, God invites us to grab faith in one hand coupling the plow in the other.  The start of a thing can be scary especially if we foresee a troubling way.  Deep the blade drives into the soil as we look on ahead.  This land will not yield its strength unless we work it.

     Didn’t Joshua work it?  Moses worked it.  Jesus worked it.  Sampson got his head bashed in.  Faith stretched gets hot.  In the gym, muscles burn to lift the weight.  It is the opposing force that must be overcome.  Repetitions, in endurance, produce the desired outcome.

     So what of the memorial stones?  What tracks our progress?  We work.  God works.  But what details our journey?  Must we scrapbook, keeping all snapshots and receipts?  When we endeavor, is it necessary to declare a new volume in our lives?

 Revelation 20:12 “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”

     It is God who records.  From faith beginning to faith’s end.  He knows our start, our pace, and our finish.  Memorial stones He collects and arranges in display.  He surely looked down in pleasure to see Jesus in glory.  His eye was on Moses as he walked the Red Sea walk. Sampson, in his final cry, moved God’s pen to write him in.  Joshua hit the beach running with gun in hand.

     Do you go unnoticed?  Think again.  Oh yes, these were the mighty ones.  Biblical giants. But as Jesus said, “ Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”  We have been justified by our faith.  He places us in His kingdom secure.  He has now freed us from our flesh to accomplish good works.  The Father’s eye is upon us.  He sees our rocks of faith like memorial stones along our path.  We may forget but He tracks us down again, following our signs to show us our progression. When we sit and rest with Him, He is faithful to encourage.    

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